Sean Flynn was an American actor, active in leading roles in Italian and European films in the early-mid 1960's.
He was born Sean Leslie Flynn on May 31st 1941 in Los Angeles, USA. He was the son of Hollywood actors Errol Flynn and Lili Damita.
His parents divorced acrimoniously the year after his birth and Sean was raised by his mother in Florida, while spending summers with his father, attending school in New Jersey and graduating in 1960. While still at school, Sean got his first acting experience appearing in an episode of his father's TV series in 1957.
In 1961, aged 20, he tested and was signed to play the lead role in
El hijo del capitán Blood, an unofficial sequel to his father's 1937 hit
Captain Blood. Abandoning his university studies he set off for Spain where the Italian co-production was to be shot. Around this time he recorded several songs that were released as singles and he was reported to be engaged to Julie Payne, daughter of actor John Payne.
Over the next 5 years he played leading roles in 6 further films shot in Italy, Spain and Germany and was reported to be engaged to his co-star from
El hijo del capitán Blood,
Alessandra Panaro. During this period he also spent some time in Africa working as a game warden.
In early 1966 Sean went to South Vietnam working as a photo journalist and in the summer of that year he went to Singapore to appear in the French-Italian co-production
Cinq gars pour Singapour, which would prove to be his final leading role. Returning to Vietnam, he made a name for himself as a daring reporter who would be actively involved in the war in order to get the best images. Aside from a spell spent in Jordan covering the Arab-Israeli war in 1967, Sean remained in Vietnam up until his disappearance
While on an assignment in Cambodia in April 1970, Sean and fellow photo-journalist Dana Stone were reported to have been captured by communist guerillas. Neither of them were ever seen again and no remains have ever been found. In 1984 his mother had him declared legally dead in absentia.
He was portrayed by Kevin Dillon in the 1992 mini-series
Frankie's House and there have been several other films featuring characters based on Sean's life in Vietnam, including Dennis Hopper's role in
Apocalypse Now (1979).
Being the son of a celebrity, Sean's life has been well-documented, so I think his biographical details, repeated by many sources, can be regarded as reliable.
Filmography
1957
- The Errol Flynn Theatre (TV series) S. 1, ep. 5: "Strange Auction" .... Shawn Bateman (credited)
1960
- Where the Boys Are .... Boy on the beach (uncredited)
1962
- El hijo del capitán Blood .... Robert Blood (credited)
1963
- Il segno di Zorro .... Don Ramón Martínez y Rayol (credited)
- Verspätung in Marienborn .... Lieutenant Novak (credited)
1964
- Agent spécial à Venise .... Michael Newman (credited)
- Sandok, il Maciste della giungla .... Lieutenant Dick Ramsey (credited)
1966
- 7 magnifiche pistole .... Timothy Hollister Benson (credited)
- Dos pistolas gemelas .... Jimmy Trevor (credited)
1967
- Cinq gars pour Singapour .... Captain Art Smith (credited)
1968
- Wheel of Ashes .... (credited with "Thanks to")
