Bean's first appearance had been as a shepherd in a school play, and much against his parents' intentions, he took up acting professionally until being called up for National Service.

He served for four years in the British Army after World War II, spending some time in Japan, and taking the opportunity to continue his acting by joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF).

After graduating from drama school in 1952, he joined the Sheffield Rep as assistant stage manager; regular theatre work followed.

His role in Dad's Army started off relatively small but grew as the series progressed, in 1997 he said "by the time of The Miser's Hoard I'd ended up on the front row of the platoon, it was a lovely feeling.

Though using a wheelchair in his later years, he continued to make sporadic appearances on stage in the north west of England discussing his long acting career.