Rowan Atkinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rowan Atkinson
Atkinson at the premiere of Johnny English Reborn in September 2011
Birth name	Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
Born	(1955-01-06) 6 January 1955 (age 70) Consett, County Durham, England
Medium	Television film stand-up
Alma mater	Newcastle University (BSc) The Queen's College, Oxford (MSc)
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Sunetra Sastry ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2015)​
Partner(s)	Louise Ford (2014–present)
Children	3
Relative(s)	Rodney Atkinson (brother)
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Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is a famous English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for playing the main characters in the TV shows Blackadder (1983–1989) and Mr. Bean (1990–1995). He also starred in the Johnny English movie series, which started in 2003.

Atkinson first became well-known on the BBC sketch comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982). For his work on this show, he won a British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance in 1981. He has appeared in many films, including the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again (1983) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). He also voiced Zazu in the Disney animated film The Lion King (1994).

Rowan Atkinson played Mr. Bean in the movies Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). He also voiced the character in Mr. Bean: The Animated Series (2002–present). He starred in the BBC sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995–1996) and played French police commissioner Jules Maigret in ITV's Maigret (2016–2017). In theatre, he played Fagin in the 2009 West End musical Oliver!.

In 2003, The Observer newspaper named Atkinson one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy. In 2005, a poll of comedians listed him among the top 50 comedians ever. He often works with writer Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall. He met them both at the Oxford University Dramatic Society in the 1970s. Besides his BAFTA, he won an Olivier Award in 1981 for his theatre show Rowan Atkinson in Revue. He was honored with a CBE in 2013 for his contributions to drama and charity.

Early Life and Education

Rowan Atkinson was born in Consett, County Durham, England, on 6 January 1955. He was the youngest of four boys. His parents were Eric Atkinson, a farmer, and Ella May.

He grew up in the Anglican faith. He went to Durham Chorister School and then St Bees School. Rowan and his older brothers, Rodney and Rupert, went to school with future Prime Minister, Tony Blair. After getting excellent grades in science, he studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Newcastle University. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1975.

Atkinson then went to The Queen's College, Oxford, where his father had studied. He started a PhD but soon focused on acting. He earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. In 2006, he became an Honorary Fellow of the college. His master's paper, published in 1978, was about self-tuning control systems.

Atkinson first gained national attention at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 1976. He had already performed sketches in Oxford. There, he met writer Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall. He continued to work with them throughout his career.

Career Highlights

Radio Shows

In 1979, Atkinson starred in a comedy series for BBC Radio 3 called The Atkinson People. In this show, he played different fictional famous people. Atkinson and Richard Curtis wrote the series, and Griff Rhys Jones produced it.

Television Appearances

After university, Atkinson made a TV pilot called Canned Laughter in 1979. He became more famous after performing at The Secret Policeman's Ball in June 1979. This show was broadcast on the BBC. He has also performed in TV skits with stars like Elton John and Kate Bush. He did a humorous song with Kate Bush for the charity event Comic Relief in 1986.

In October 1979, Atkinson first appeared on Not the Nine O'Clock News for the BBC. His friend John Lloyd produced the show. Atkinson starred alongside Pamela Stephenson, Griff Rhys Jones, and Mel Smith. He was also one of the main writers for the sketches.

The success of Not the Nine O'Clock News led to Atkinson's lead role in Blackadder. This BBC comedy was set in different historical periods. His co-stars included Tony Robinson as his sidekick Baldrick, Tim McInnerny, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie. The first series, The Black Adder (1983), was set in medieval times. Atkinson's character was not very smart.

The second series, Blackadder II (1986), was set in the Elizabethan era. Here, Blackadder became a clever and scheming character. Metro newspaper said that watching Atkinson in this series was like watching a master of sarcastic comebacks. Two more series followed: Blackadder the Third (1987) in the Regency era, and Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) during World War I.

The Blackadder series became one of the BBC's most successful comedies. It also had TV specials like Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) and Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999). The final scene of "Blackadder Goes Forth" is known for being very powerful. Edmund Blackadder was ranked third among the "100 Greatest TV Characters" in a 2001 poll.

Atkinson in 1997, promoting Bean. Young adults from other countries often connect Mr. Bean with British culture.

Atkinson's other famous character, the clumsy Mr. Bean, first appeared on New Year's Day in 1990. This was a half-hour special for Thames Television. Mr. Bean is often compared to silent film stars like Buster Keaton. Atkinson said that Jacques Tati's character Monsieur Hulot was his main inspiration. Atkinson explained that Mr. Bean is very selfish and acts like a child in a man's body.

Several Mr. Bean TV specials aired until 1995. The character then appeared in two movies: Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). Atkinson also voiced the character in Mr. Bean: The Animated Series.

Atkinson also played Inspector Raymond Fowler in The Thin Blue Line (1995–96). This sitcom, written by Ben Elton, was set in a police station.

Atkinson has appeared in many commercials for companies like Kronenbourg and Fujifilm. He played a clumsy spy named Richard Lathum in adverts for Barclaycard. This character inspired his role in the Johnny English movies. In 1999, he played the Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death. This was a special Doctor Who episode for Comic Relief.

In July 2011, Atkinson appeared on the BBC's Top Gear. He drove the Kia Cee'd around the track in 1:42.2, which was a very fast time.

Atkinson appeared as Mr. Bean at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London. He performed a comedy sketch during a performance of "Chariots of Fire". He pretended to play a single note on a synthesizer. Then, in a dream, he joined the runners from the film and beat them by riding in a taxi.

In November 2012, Atkinson suggested he might stop playing Mr. Bean. He felt that being childlike in his 50s might seem a bit sad. However, in 2016, he said he would never fully retire the character. In 2018, he told Graham Norton that Mr. Bean was unlikely to appear on TV again, but added, "you must never say never."

Mr. Bean has a huge online presence. In October 2018, Atkinson received YouTube's Diamond Play Button for his channel reaching over 10 million subscribers. In 2018, his channel had more than 6.5 billion views. Mr. Bean is also one of the most-followed Facebook pages, with 94 million followers in July 2020.

Animated Mr. Bean

In January 2014, ITV announced a new animated series with Mr. Bean. Rowan Atkinson returned to voice the character. The series was released online and then on TV.

In February 2018, it was announced that a third series of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series would be made in 2019. Atkinson voiced all 26 episodes. The first two episodes aired on 9 April 2019 on CITV in the UK. All three series (104 episodes) were also sold to the Chinese children's channel CCTV-14 in February 2019.

Film Roles

Atkinson at the 2011 premiere of Johnny English Reborn

Atkinson's film career started with a small part in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983). He also had a main role in Dead on Time (1983). He appeared in the Oscar-winning short film The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988). He was in Mel Smith's first film as a director, The Tall Guy (1989). He also appeared in The Witches (1990), a film based on Roald Dahl's dark fantasy children's novel. He played Dexter Hayman in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), a parody of Rambo III.

Atkinson became more recognized for playing a clumsy vicar in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). He also voiced Zazu the red-billed hornbill in Disney's The Lion King (1994). He sang the song "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" in The Lion King. Atkinson continued to appear in supporting roles in comedies. These include Rat Race (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), and Love Actually (2003). He also starred in the crime comedy Keeping Mum (2005).

Besides supporting roles, Atkinson has also been a successful lead actor. His TV character Mr. Bean became a movie star with Bean (1997), which was a big international success. A sequel, Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), also did very well worldwide. He has also starred in the James Bond parody Johnny English film series (2003–present). In 2023, Atkinson played Father Julius in Wonka. This film tells the story of Willy Wonka's early life.

In February 2024, it was announced that a fourth Johnny English film would be made.

Theatre Performances

Atkinson outside the West End's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 16 June 2009

Atkinson performed live comedy sketches in The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979) in London. This event was for Amnesty International. Atkinson went on a four-month tour of the UK in 1980. A recording of his show in Belfast was released as Live in Belfast.

In 1984, Atkinson appeared in the play The Nerd in London's West End. He acted alongside a 10-year-old Christian Bale. In 1988 and 1989, Atkinson performed in The Sneeze and Other Stories. These were seven short plays by Anton Chekhov.

Oliver! billboard at the West End's Drury Lane in 2009

In 2009, Atkinson played Fagin in the musical Oliver!. This musical is based on Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. His performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London received good reviews. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for best actor in a musical.

In November 2012, Rowan Atkinson played Blackadder again for a comedy show called "We are Most Amused." This event was for The Prince's Trust. He was joined by Tony Robinson as Baldrick. This was the first new Blackadder material in 10 years.

In February 2013, Atkinson took the main role in the play Quartermaine's Terms. This play ran for 12 weeks in London.

Comic Style

Atkinson is famous for his physical comedy, especially as Mr. Bean. However, his other characters often use language and witty dialogue. Atkinson frequently plays serious characters, like priests, who say funny things with a straight face. Journalist Anwar Brett noted that Atkinson takes his comedy very seriously.

One of his well-known funny habits is over-pronouncing the "B" sound. This is a technique he uses to help with his stammer.

Atkinson's visual comedy style has been compared to Buster Keaton. This makes him different from many modern comedians who rely more on talking. Because of his talent for visual comedy, Atkinson has been called "the man with the rubber face."

Influences on His Comedy

Atkinson's early comedy influences included the sketch comedy group Beyond the Fringe. This group included Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. He was also greatly influenced by Monty Python. Atkinson said he watched them eagerly as a student.

He continued to be influenced by John Cleese after his Monty Python days. Atkinson called Cleese "a major, major inspiration." He noted that Cleese was very physical and often played angry characters. He was also influenced by Peter Sellers. Sellers' characters, Hrundi Bakshi from The Party and Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther films, influenced Mr. Bean and Johnny English.

Atkinson also admired Barry Humphries' character Dame Edna Everage. He said he loved how the character's polite appearance hid mean prejudices. For visual comedians, Atkinson considers Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd as important influences. He was also inspired by French comedian Jacques Tati. Atkinson said that seeing Tati's film Mr. Hulot's Holiday when he was 17 was a major inspiration. He learned how comedy could be purely visual and take its time to develop.

Personal Life

Family

Rowan Atkinson at the Mr. Bean's Holiday premiere at Leicester Square in London (2007)

Rowan Atkinson met makeup artist Sunetra Sastry in the late 1980s. They married in February 1990 and had two children. They later divorced in 2015. He then had another child with comedian Louise Ford.

Cars and Hobbies

Atkinson has a special driving licence for lorries, which he got in 1981. He was fascinated by lorries and used this skill in some comedy work. In 1991, he starred in The Driven Man, a series of sketches about his obsession with cars. He also enjoys car racing. In 1995, he played racing driver Henry Birkin in the TV play Full Throttle.

Atkinson has raced various cars, including a Renault 5 GT Turbo. From 1997 to 2015, he owned a rare McLaren F1. This car was involved in two accidents, one in 1999 and a more serious one in 2011. The 2011 crash caused significant damage, and the repairs cost a record amount in Britain. He has also owned other cars like a Honda NSX and an Audi A8.

Atkinson racing in a Jaguar Mark VII M at the Goodwood Revival motor racing festival in England in 2009

In July 2001, Atkinson crashed an Aston Martin V8 Zagato at a car enthusiasts' meeting but was not hurt. He was competing at the Croft Racing Circuit.

Atkinson has said he would not own a Porsche. He feels that "typical Porsche people" are not his kind of people.

In July 2011, Atkinson appeared on Top Gear as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car." He drove the Kia Cee'd very quickly around the track.

In February 2024, a report from the House of Lords mentioned Atkinson. It suggested that his opinion piece in The Guardian in June 2023 might have affected public views on electric cars. In the article, Atkinson, an early electric vehicle owner, described them as fast and quiet but also mentioned issues with batteries and misleading ideas about their environmental impact.

Plane Incident

In March 2001, while Atkinson was on holiday in Kenya, the pilot of his private plane fainted. Atkinson managed to keep the plane flying until the pilot recovered. The pilot then safely landed the plane at Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

Filmography

Stage Performances

Honours and Awards

Atkinson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013. This honor was for his great contributions to drama and charity.

See also

In Spanish: Rowan Atkinson para niños