Mr Bean actor, Rowan Atkinson has entertained audiences for decades with his impeccable comedic timing and endearing performances.
Although he’s widely recognized as Mr Bean, Atkinson’s repertoire extends to other roles such as Blackadder in the Blackadder comedy series.
Yet, the persona of the bungling Mr Bean actor only scratches the surface of this multifaceted talent.
Here are some fun facts:
- Atkinson is extremely intelligent. He was actually at the top of his class and went on to get a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University. He then did an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Oxford University, where his thesis was on self-tuning control systems.
- Tony Blair was his schoolmate. The former Prime Minister was a schoolmate of Atkinson in Durham Choristers School. Blair was two years his senior and was highly extroverted compared to the reserved and shy Atkinson.
- Mr Bean was born on stage. Atkinson created Mr Bean during his first term at Oxford when he had 48 hours to develop a five-minute act for the stage. He then came up with a strange rubber-faced, a non-speaking character we have all come to know and love as Mr Bean.
- He loves cars and collects them avidly. One of his favourites is a McLaren F1, a rare supercar that was created in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.
- He was once in a James Bond movie. He had a small role in Never Say Never Again as Nigel Small-Fawcett.
6. He stopped a plane crash. One time, while in Kenya, the pilot of his private plane fainted, forcing Atkinson to take over. Atkinson kept the plane in the air until the pilot regained consciousness and landed the plane safely.
7. He has been conferred a title for his contribution to British comedy and the arts. He was named commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2013. Other big names who have received this honour include Hugh Laurie, the late Stephen Hawking and Helena Bonham Carter.
8. He was the voice of Zazu, the African hornbill who played advisor to King Mufasa in The Lion King.
The post Little known facts about Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr Bean appeared first on The Independent World News.