Amelia Moore
Most 90’s kids have grown up watching the now iconic character of Mr. Bean on Television. Created and portrayed on screen by the talented British actor Rowan Atkinson, Mr. Bean has become one of the most popular characters on British television in our times. But Mr. Atkinson is more than just his role. Besides being the richest comedian in the UK, Rowan Atkinson is also a very educated person.
He completed his undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University. He then pursued a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oxford. His postgraduate thesis was on self-tuning control systems.
Rowan Atkinson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to drama and charity. Currently, Atkinson is in a relationship with Louise Ford, with whom he has a daughter – Isla Atkinson. He also has a son and daughter – Benjamin Atkinson and Lily Sastry from his previous marriage to Sunetra Sastry.
Fun Facts about Mr. Bean
Over the years, Rowan Atkinson has been in many movies and provided us with many memorable roles. But Mr. Bean remains one of his best-known characters. Here are some fun facts about Mr. Bean that you might enjoy:
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Mr. Bean began his journey on stage
The world came to know Mr. Bean through the television show of the same name. Still, very few know that Rowan Atkinson first debuted Mr. Bean or, rather, the earliest version of the character on stage at the Oxford Playhouse at the University of Oxford. He was given 48 hours to come up with something.
Never much of a writer, Rowan Atkinson just stood in front of the mirror and tried making funny faces. And thus, a very earlier version of Mr. Bean was born. Later, he collaborated with Richard Curtis to give a more concrete shape to the character. He went on to test out the character in front of live audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Just For Laughs in Montreal, Canada.
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He did not have a name at first.
You may be interested to know that Mr. Bean’s character did not have a name until after the first episode was produced. Several names were considered for the character, such as Mr. White and Mr. Cauliflower, but none were found suitable. The creators finally settled on Mr. Bean, which according to Atkinson, was ‘short, sharp, and to the point”.
Very few know that Rowan Atkinson played an earlier version of Mr. Bean in a sitcom called ‘Canned Laughter’ in 1979. In that episode, the name of the character played by Mr. Bean was ‘Robert Box.’ The character was a slightly less awkward version of the Mr. Bean character that we all have come to know and love.
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Rowan Atkinson’s daughter had a cameo role.
Even if you are a die-hard fan of Rowan Atkinson, you may not know that in the second Mr. Bean movie, ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday,’ Lily Atkinson, daughter of Rowan Atkinson, had a cameo role. In the movie, she plays the role of the girl with the stereo.
Lily Atkinson now goes by the name Lily Sastry. She took her mother’s maiden name after her parents (Rowan Atkinson and Sunetra Sastry) divorced in November 2015.
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French comedian Jacques Tati influenced Mr. Bean’s character.
Growing up, Rowan Atkinson was a huge fan of Jacques Tati, a French comedian, writer, and director well known for creating the role of Monsieur Hulot. He even talked about the profound influence the film ‘Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday’ had on him, “It just struck a chord with me… It was a kind of uncompromising comic attitude… that I really admired.” Consequently, while creating the character of Mr. Bean, he drew a lot of inspiration from Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot.
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Richard Curtis co-created the character of Mr. Bean
British filmmaker Richard Curtis is well-known for writing/directing rom-com classics like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. However, very few people know that he collaborated with Rowan Atkinson to create the character of Mr. Bean.
Curtis and Atkinson met each other when they were students at the University of Oxford. Both of them were part of the same comedy group. Though they had very different personalities, they hit it off instantly. Atkinson, by his own admission was more of a performer than a writer. Curtis would support his friend’s performance on stage by writing the scripts for him. After initially working on the tv series “Blackadder,” the two friends got together again to co-create Mr. Bean for tv.
Wrapping up
So what is the reason behind the worldwide popularity of Mr. Bean with children and adults alike? Is it just because of his silent but funny antics? Or is it because, as a child trapped in a man’s body, he somewhere somehow resonates with us all? Let us know if you share our fondness for Mr. Bean and why you think he is still so popular.
Author Bio :
With 5 years of experience in the field, Amelia Moore is an online entrepreneur by profession and a passionate blogger and content writer. She loves to write content about Pets, Travel, Entertainment, fashion, and many more. She has experience at the Pets Magazine, Essay Writing Guides, the dating dairy.
