Orlando Bloom, who played the elven archer Legolas, explained that Bean was terrified of flying, and the helicopter rides weren’t exactly smooth or easy:

“We had to take a helicopter to get to work, and I remember sitting next to Sean in this helicopter going up over the – we had to go up over the Remarkables, remember, to get to Queenstown, and his hand on my knee I will never forget. It was like a white knuckle, it was like a proper bony white knuckling ride.”

Picturing Bean’s rugged fingers digging into Bloom’s leg is both comical and the stuff of slash fan-fiction, but it really does show just how terrified the actor was of flying around in a helicopter. So, instead of taking a little flight, Bean opted to do things his way and climb to set. It’s not exactly Method acting, but there’s something to be said for Bean putting in his steps.