Actor biography
Everyone associates the last name and first name of this person with a comic character, thanks to whom he gained his first millions of fans and huge profits. His facial expressions and unusual appearance made him the most recognizable comedy character in Britain and the whole world.
Rowan Atkinson was born and raised in a large family. The parents were ordinary people who had nothing to do with the film industry. Rowan's dad took care of the housework, and his mom devoted herself entirely to children and everyday life. From early childhood, the boy had rich facial expressions and amused everyone with funny parodies, faces and comic numbers.
So, Rowan Atkinson gained popularity as a local clown and was absolutely not shy about it. He liked to bring people joy and positive emotions.
Biography of Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson is a man whom, without exaggeration, the whole world knows. “Mr. Bean,” invented and embodied by him, has long become a household name, as well as a real legend in the world of cinema. His special humor found fans in different parts of the world. His facial expressions and movements have long become the standard for many comedians on our planet. But what else do we know about the great “Mr. Bean”? What was Rowan Atkinson's career like? What obstacles did he encounter on his way? Today we will try to shed light on the life story of the great Englishman.
The further fate of the boy
At the age of 11, the boy’s parents decide to transfer him to the school where British Prime Minister Tony Blair himself received his education. Due to unsettled relationships with teachers and staff, the boy changes schools again. This time, Rowan Atkinson becomes a student at one of the most prestigious schools in England, which devotes a lot of time to sports training for children. However, the guy was not interested in this. He quickly got tired during training, and his peers laughed at his frailty and skinny physique.
At first the guy was embarrassed by his thinness and helplessness in the gym, but decided to compensate for this failure with his strength. After the sports training lesson, Rowan imitated the teachers in the locker room, which the guys really liked. Thus, he was able to earn respect and experience shame for his physical unpreparedness.
Interests, hobbies
Mr Bean's Car
: Rowan Atkinson's character drives a lemony 1970 Mini Leyland 1000cc. In real life, actor Rowan Atkinson is known as an avid sports car collector. He also regularly writes articles in professional automotive magazines, and was a guest on the Top Gear television program in season 17 ([www.topgearrussia.ru/tv-show/sguide/161696/73cb11fe.html Season 17 / Episode 4]). The Atkinson collection includes:
- Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
- Aston Martin V8 Zagato
- Audi A8
- Ford Falcon
- Honda Civic Hybrid
- Honda NSX
- McLaren F1 - Rowan was involved in an accident in this car in 1999 (the hood was completely destroyed). Repairing the £650,000 car cost around £100,000[11][12]. On August 4, 2011, Atkinson was involved in another accident with the same car. This time the car received more serious damage, but the actor himself escaped with a minor shoulder injury.[13] The car was repaired for over a year at McLaren's workshops in Woking in Surrey. As a result, the repairs cost the insurance company more than £910,000, which exceeded the cost of the car when purchased in 1997.
- Morgan Aeromax
- an old-timer Morris Traveller, which he regularly rides around the grounds of his villa in Oxfordshire.
- Renault 5 Turbo
- Bugatti Veyron 16.4
- Mercedes-Benz W100
- Jaguar Mark VII - 1952 release[14].
The actor also has a license to drive trucks and road trains.
Life after study
After graduating from college, the guy became very withdrawn into himself, considering his talent ridiculous and stupid. He became more serious and practically stopped joking, which caused bewilderment among everyone around him. They literally didn't recognize him.
The guy didn’t think about an acting career; he was more inclined to work with science or technology. So, without much effort, he was able to enter a university at the Faculty of Electronics. It was not difficult to explain his choice: Rowan had a phenomenal memory since childhood and could memorize large formulas that caused panic in many. He loved physics, which is why he chose the Faculty of Electronics.
What happened next for Rowan?
After receiving a higher education diploma, Atkinson was invited to one of the most prestigious universities in the world to write and defend his doctoral work. During his student life, the guy met people whom he loves and with whom he still maintains warm relationships today.
Nostalgia for his comedic talents, which he had carefully hidden all this time, defeated the guy in his second year at university. It was then that he fell into the circle of people who literally lived on the theater and stage. Since then, Rowan has become one of the members of the Dramatic Society. The numbers performed by him, as well as later films with Rowan Atkinson, were very popular. Thus, he was entrusted with several solo festivals, which he completed with great success.
The actor's first achievements
Rowan wrote scripts for performances with his best friend. The latter, like our hero, has today achieved considerable heights in the film industry. After successfully defending his doctoral thesis, Atkinson and his theatrical colleagues decide to go on a tour of their homeland.
His first serious step towards great fame was a television show on the British channel called Atkinson's People, which he created together with his friend Curtis. The plot of the show was based on interviews that Rowan conducted with fictitious guests.
Movies
Rowan quickly earned fame as a rising star on the British comedy scene. The first step to world recognition was a radio show with the simple name “Atkinson’s People.” The actor's co-author was once again his friend and colleague Richard Curtis. Satirical interviews, allegedly conducted by Rowan with characters he invented, were in great demand among listeners.
Rowan Atkinson in Atkinson's People
Atkinson came to television thanks to another comedian, Angus Dave. Their performance together was captured on film and shown in one of the shows. Subsequently, the actor was offered to film his own program, “Not the Nine O'Clock News,” produced by John Lloyd. There were also old acquaintances. Howard Goodall became a composer and wrote unforgettable music for the show, and Richard Curtis created several episodes of the film. The sketch show aired in October 1979 and immediately became incredibly popular in Britain.
After a successful debut on television, the actor was invited to the medieval comedy “Black Adder” with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry, which finally cemented Atkinson’s fame as one of the most popular comedians in England.
Rowan Atkinson in the movie Blackadder
Rowan appeared before television viewers in the role of Edward, Earl of Edinburgh. Before filming began, the performer had no idea what the character would look or sound like. Almost all of Edward's facial expressions and movements in the pilot episode of the sitcom were pure improvisation, which turned out to be very successful. He also had to cut his hair according to the fashion of the era.
The comedian gained worldwide fame after his debut as the character Mr. Bean, who first appeared in 1989 in a New Year's half-hour special on Thames Television. Immediately after the New Year, a full-fledged series of the same name “Mr. Bean” was released. Rowan came up with his character while still a student at Oxford, even appearing in this image at festivals several times.
Rowan Atkinson in the TV series "Mr. Bean"
In his work, the actor paid great attention to the character’s facial expressions and plasticity, since Bean has virtually no dialogue and very rarely speaks. This role helped Atkinson transcend the boundaries of popularity in Britain and interest audiences beyond its borders.
For 5 years, the whole world watched the adventures of Mr. Bean; each episode attracted more than 20 million television viewers. The incredible success of the series made it possible to create a full-fledged film, released in 1997 under the title "Mr. Bean." In the image of his most famous character, the actor repeatedly appeared in numerous shows and television projects, delighting viewers with his colorful performances.
Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean
However, Rowan began to get tired of Bean and announced that the film “Mr. Bean on Vacation” would be his last appearance in this image. The film was released in 2007 and was first shown in Russia.
In the comedy “Rat Race,” Atkinson was accompanied by equally famous comedians John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green and Jon Lovitz. This cheerful company took part in the race for $2 million, lying in a storage room in a provincial town 700 km from the starting point. The owner of the casino arranged such betting in public to entertain wealthy clients.
In 2003, the comedy “Agent Johnny English” was released, where the actor moved away from the role of Mr. Bean and played British intelligence agent Johnny English. The film itself was a humorous parody of films about James Bond, the famous movie spy. The film was a success, and Rowan himself received the European Film Awards as best actor. In 2011, a sequel, Agent Johnny English Reboot, was filmed.
Rowan Atkinson in the movie "Agent Johnny English"
In 2012, Atkinson once again appeared as a cult hero at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, where, as part of a comedy sketch, he accompanied the song "Chariots of Fire" on a synthesizer, playing just one key. After the Games, Rowan gave an interview in which he announced the end of Mr. Bean's career. According to the artist, the role was becoming increasingly difficult on the physical side, because the character has incredibly rich facial expressions.
Having visited Moscow in 2015, Rowan noted that only now, when Bean has turned into a middle-aged man, does he better understand how to play him, “than 25-35 years ago, when we just started.”
Rowan Atkinson in Snickers commercial
The artist was embarrassed by the fact that the 50-year-old man behaved too childishly on screen. However, this did not stop Rowan from voicing his character in the animated series, released in 2014, and also from playing Bean again in an advertisement for the popular Snickers bar.
During the filming of the video, Atkinson, who is 181 cm tall and naturally flexible, was most afraid of going up to the roof. Already a 2-meter height made the actor nervous, and he was reassured by the thought that a team of professionals would provide backup at the right time.
Rowan Atkinson in the film Maigret
In 2016, a film appeared in Atkinson’s filmography, the main character of which is a far from smiling private detective. “Maigret” is based on a series of novels by the Belgian writer Georges Simenon about the commissioner of the criminal police. Critics had mixed reactions to Rowan in this role, while the actor himself was enthusiastic about participating in the project, because he was in love with stories about Maigret and dreamed of plunging into the atmosphere of Paris in the 50s.
However, Atkinson, after thinking for 3 months, rejected the first invitation to play the role - he thought that he would not get used to the image that had been embodied more than once before him, so as not to copy it. And besides, the detective genre, where the hero is not comical, was frightening. But the film crew, including producer-son of the writer John Simenon, waited for Rowan for a year.
Rowan Atkinson as Commissioner Maigret
Commissioner Maigret is the only character of the British actor who spends half a day in a car, but never gets behind the wheel. This fact upset Atkinson very much. In addition, the car racing enthusiast was prohibited from participating in such dangerous events during filming.
Atkinson's filmography
The actor received his first comic roles thanks to his friend Angus Dave, who, secretly from Rowan, sent a film of their performance to one of the comedy shows.
After this, Atkinson was offered to host another program called “Not the Nine O’Clock News.”
Some time after his debut appearances on television, the actor received an offer to play in the comedy “Black Viper,” after which he finally gained enormous popularity and crowds of fans. This work was nominated at many festivals and received more than one award for the best comedy work in Britain.
The detective series “Maigret” with Rowan Atkinson gained great popularity thanks to him.
Rowan became famous all over the world after starring in the comedy series Mister Bean. It was first released in New Year's Day 1989 on Thames Television. The episode lasted half an hour and created a sensation. A few days after the New Year, the full-length series “Mr. Bean” was released. He himself came up with the image of the main character, played by Rowan, while still a student. He even brought it out in public several times during performances at holidays.
Atkinson worked most carefully on the facial expressions and body movements of his character, because he is practically “mute” in the series. The role of Mr. Bean blew up the entire comedy world and brought Rowan worldwide popularity.
The film, based on the Mister Bean series, was released in 1997. The actor made the decision to create it based on the enormous popularity of the film. Every time this hero appeared on the screen, more than 15 million television viewers watched him.
The actor decided to put Mr. Bean in the background for now. In 2007, he released the film "Mr. Bean on Holiday", which was presented in Russia, and moved on to filming the works of other directors.
Thus, he became the main character in such films as “Agent Johnny English” and “Agent Johnny English: Reboot.”
Recently he starred in a Snickers commercial, where he played the same Mr. Bean.
Star Trek actor Rowan Atkinson, filmography
The first popularity came to our today's hero in 1976 after his brilliant performance at the Edinburgh Festival.
After this project, Rowan was able to feel like a celebrity for the first time. He was interviewed and photographed for various publications. It was at this moment that the producers of BBC 3 invited the talented comedian to create his own humorous project. All jokes were written by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis. Some time later, another friend of the actor, comedian Angus Deighton, also began working on a project called “Atkinson’s People,” with whom Rowan toured the country for some time with humorous acts. Rowan Atkinson - Mr. Bean in the Library The success of the Atkinson's People project brought the artist a new degree of fame. Soon, Rowan, Richard and Angus also began working on the project “Tin Laughter,” which was aired on the ITV channel, but later their paths diverged and our today’s hero worked alone on the program “Not Nine O’Clock News,” acting as an actor and screenwriter. In 1983, the talented Englishman starred in a movie for the first time - in the spy action film “Never Say Never Again” from the unofficial James Bond series. In this film, Sean Connery became his on-screen partner. Subsequently, the famous Scot became one of the main fans of Rowan Atkinson's work.
It is worth noting that 1983 became an absolutely special year for our today's hero. During this period, he played in his first film comedy, “Dead in Time,” and also launched the cult project “Black Adder,” which immediately received huge success after its release. On the creation of the said television series, Rowan Atkinson again worked together with Richard Curtis, who acted as the scriptwriter for all episodes of the comedy.
As a result, the popular comedy series lasted for six years, and was later even included in one of the hundred best British television programs (at number 16). In a word, the success of the television series was stunning. Rowan Atkinson became a full-fledged star, and therefore always received prominent roles in new films. These include the comedies “Lanky”, “The Witches”, as well as some other films.
Rowan Atkinson - The Basics of Courtship The actor's most successful project in the early nineties was the 14-episode comedy "Mr. Bean", which later became a cult work for the entire British culture. This series was a great success, and therefore over time it managed to... In 1997, PolyGram Filmed also produced a full-length film about the adventures of Mr. Bean, which also became very successful at the box office. Ten years later - in 2007 - another film about the famous character was also released on screens around the world - "Mr. Bean on Vacation", which became an excellent conclusion to the entire franchise.
Other films with the participation of Rowan Atkinson also became bright and popular among viewers. These include the films “Rat Race”, “Anything is Possible, Baby”, “Hot Shots 2”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral”. The last of these films became the most commercially successful film in the entire history of British cinema.
Rowan Atkinson converted to Islam
Atkinson's personal life
An actor's relationships always remain behind the scenes. He does not like to share details and prefers to remain silent, just like his character, Mr. Bean. However, it is known that he dated Leslie Ash and then was in an official relationship with Saneste Sestri. Photos of Rowan Atkinson with this woman could often be found in popular glossies.
Saneste and Rowan's marriage did not last long. They filed for divorce. However, during this period they had two beautiful children: Lily and Benjamin. Rowan Atkinson's daughter took after her father - she is a popular actress.
Personal life
Rowan often jokes that he doesn’t like giving interviews because journalists invariably ask him questions about his personal life, which, alas, is not as eventful as the life of his hero Mr. Bean. In his youth, the actor suffered from a stutter, with words starting with the letter B especially difficult for him. With age, the speech impediment has weakened, but Atkinson is still known as uncommunicative.
Rowan Atkinson and Sanetra Sestri
He dated actress Leslie Ash for some time, but broke up with her. In the late 80s, he met make-up artist Sanetra Sestri, who worked on the BBC television channel. Their relationship developed very rapidly, and already in 1990 they got married. At first, very modestly in a close family circle, and then they held a grand ceremony in the very center of London, where 80 people were invited.
The couple had two children: daughter Lily Grace and son Benjamin Alexander Sebastian. The girl followed in her father's footsteps and played a couple of minor roles in Rowan's films, but eventually became a singer - performing soul music in London clubs.
Rowan Atkinson with his wife
In 2013, Rowan filed for divorce and soon began appearing in the company of actress Louise Ford, whom he had met a year earlier during a performance at the West End theater in the play Quartermaine's Terms. In 2015, an official divorce from Sanetra followed, and less than a month later the artist invited Louise to live together in a country house. Whether Ford became the actor’s legal wife and what the son, born in December 2020, was named, the chronicle is silent.
Rowan Atkinson with his wife and daughter
Atkinson has a weakness for exclusive cars and racing, and at one time wrote articles for specialized magazines. In 2011, Rowan narrowly escaped death when he accelerated to 240 mph in a £650,000 Mc Laren F1 and crashed into a tree.
The movie star's car fleet consists of a BMW 328 and Aston Martin Virage, a Rolls-Royce and Morris Traveler, a hybrid Honda Civic and a Mercedes-Benz 500E. The Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, which was driven by the hero in the film Agent Johnny English, also belongs to the leading actor.
Rowan Atkinson has a large fleet of vehicles
Atkinson does not have personal accounts on social networks; he has a couple of fan pages on Instagram and Twitter. There are photos of Rowan himself, the actor in the image of Mr. Bean. Perhaps such ignorance of the World Wide Web is explained by human permissiveness and impunity, which violate peace of mind. So, in 2016, the artist became the victim of a cruel prank: an announcement about his suicide was published on Facebook.
The serious publication The Sun had to stand up for the celebrity and refute the cruel joke. However, in Atkinson’s biography this is not an isolated case of “death”. Fortunately, every time it is false.
