Rowan Atkinson
Born 1955 · Age 70
English actor, comedian and writer best known for Blackadder, Mr. Bean and the Johnny English film series. Trained as an electrical engineer; prominent from late 1970s onward.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth of Rowan Atkinson
Born in Consett, County Durham, England to Eric and Ella May Atkinson.
Attended Durham Chorister School
Educated at the Durham Chorister School (preparatory choir school).
Attended St Bees School
Later educated at St Bees School (public school). Exact years not stated.
Graduated Newcastle University (BSc)
Received a BSc degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle University.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe breakout with Oxford Revue
Won national attention in The Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; began to be noticed as a comedian.
Published MSc thesis on self-tuning control
Master's thesis on the application of self‑tuning control was published (work at The Queen's College, Oxford).
Radio series 'The Atkinson People' (BBC Radio 3)
Starred in and co-wrote a satirical BBC Radio 3 series featuring fictional interviews with 'great men'.
Pilot: 'Canned Laughter' for London Weekend Television
Made a one-off pilot for LWT called Canned Laughter shortly after university.
Performed on The Secret Policeman's Ball (Amnesty)
Appeared on The Secret Policeman's Ball (June 1979), a high-profile charity comedy gala that was broadcast and raised his profile.
Joined 'Not the Nine O'Clock News' (BBC)
First appeared on Not the Nine O'Clock News (Oct 1979), became a main performer and sketch writer; ran 1979–1982.
Four-month live tour and 'Live in Belfast' release
Undertook a four-month UK tour in 1980; a recording of a stage performance in Belfast was released as Live in Belfast.
West End one-man show 'Rowan Atkinson in Revue' (Olivier Award)
Performed the one-man West End show Rowan Atkinson in Revue (Globe Theatre) and won the 1981 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance.
BAFTA Television Award for Not the Nine O'Clock News
Received the 1981 British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment/Light Entertainment Performance.
Gained Category C+E lorry driving licence
Obtained a category C+E (Class 1) lorry driving licence in 1981 to ensure work options and because of an interest in lorries.
One-man show made him youngest West End solo performer (at time)
In 1981 he became the youngest performer at the time to have a one-man show in London's West End (Rowan Atkinson in Revue).
Created and starred in 'The Black Adder' (Blackadder)
Co-wrote (with Richard Curtis) and starred as Edmund Blackadder in Blackadder (first series 1983), launching a major TV franchise.
Debut film roles: 'Never Say Never Again' and 'Dead on Time'
Appeared in supporting role in James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) and led in Dead on Time (1983).
West End: Appeared in play 'The Nerd'
Performed in The Nerd at the Aldwych Theatre (1984), alongside a young Christian Bale.
Blackadder II broadcast (major turning point)
Blackadder II (1986) reinvented the character as a devious anti-hero; series became a staple of British comedy.
Blackadder specials and Oscar-winning short film
Featured in Blackadder specials (1988) and appeared in The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988), an Oscar-winning short.
Blackadder Goes Forth (final regular series)
Blackadder Goes Forth (1989) set in WWI; acclaimed for its poignant finale. Series run completed 1983–1989.
Won Golden Rose / Montreux recognition for Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean received international awards (Montreux/Golden Rose around 1990) and later additional awards including an International Emmy (1991).
Film: 'The Witches' (role)
Appeared in the film adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches (1990).
TV debut of Mr. Bean
First appearance of Mr. Bean in a Thames Television half-hour special broadcast New Year's Day 1990; character later ran 1990–1995 on television.
Mr. Bean wins International Emmy & other awards (early 1990s)
Mr. Bean won awards in the early 1990s including an International Emmy (1991) and an American Cable ACE Award (1994) reflecting international success.
Married Sunetra Sastry
Married BBC makeup artist Sunetra Sastry in February 1990; later had two children (with Sastry).
Created/Starred in 'The Driven Man' sketches
Starred in The Driven Man (1991), sketches exploring his obsession with cars.
Film role: 'Hot Shots! Part Deux'
Played Dexter Hayman in the parody Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Major film roles: 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' & 'The Lion King' (Zazu)
Appeared as a bumbling vicar in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and voiced Zazu in Disney's The Lion King (1994); sang on the soundtrack.
Starred in TV sitcom 'The Thin Blue Line'
Portrayed Inspector Raymond Fowler in Ben Elton's sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995–1996).
Reported as top-earning British actor (mid-1990s)
Reported (mid-1990s) to be the top-earning British actor; one source states he made more than £11 million in 1996.
Feature film 'Bean' released (Mr. Bean)
Released Bean (1997), his first big-screen Mr. Bean film (directed by Mel Smith); international box-office success.
Purchased McLaren F1 (ownership period begins)
Became owner of a rare McLaren F1 (owned from 1997 until 2015).
Blackadder: Back & Forth (Millennium special)
Participated in the Blackadder millennium special Blackadder: Back & Forth (1999).
McLaren F1 involved in collision (Oct 1999)
His McLaren F1 was involved in an accident in Cabus, near Garstang, Lancashire (Oct 1999); he walked away unhurt.
Emergency plane-handling incident in Kenya
While on holiday in Kenya (March 2001) the private plane's pilot fainted; Atkinson helped maintain flight until safe landing at Wilson Airport, Nairobi.
Appeared in 'Scooby-Doo' and Animated Mr. Bean begins
Small role in Scooby-Doo (2002); Mr. Bean: The Animated Series launched (2002–present) with Atkinson voicing the title character.
Starred in 'Johnny English' and 'Love Actually'
Appeared as the title character in the spy-spoof Johnny English (2003) and in the ensemble Love Actually (2003). Johnny English would become a film franchise.
Listed among Observer's 50 funniest actors
Named by The Observer (2003) as one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy.
Listed among top 50 comedians by peer poll (2005)
Named among the top 50 comedians ever in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians; also listed by The Observer as one of 50 funniest actors (2003).
Political activism: Led coalition to Parliament on Racial & Religious Hatred Bill
In June 2005, led prominent actors and writers to Parliament to seek review of the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill over free-speech concerns.
Film: 'Keeping Mum'
Appeared in the comedy Keeping Mum (2005) alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith and Patrick Swayze.
Made Honorary Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford
Awarded an Honorary Fellowship at The Queen's College, Oxford (his alma mater), in recognition of his achievements.
Film: 'Mr. Bean's Holiday' released
Released Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007), the second Mr. Bean big-screen film; international box-office success.
Played Fagin in West End 'Oliver!' revival
Starred as Fagin in the 2009 West End revival of the musical Oliver! at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; received favourable reviews and an Olivier nomination.
Olivier Award nomination for 'Oliver!' (2009 production)
Nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award (Best Actor in a Musical) for his 2009 role as Fagin in Oliver! (nomination noted in 2010 awards cycle).
Largest UK insurance payout for vehicle damage (£910,000)
The repair and claim from the 2011 McLaren F1 crash led to a large insurance payout reported at £910,000 (largest in Britain at the time).
McLaren F1 crash and fire (Aug 2011)
Suffered serious crash in a McLaren F1 in August 2011; vehicle caught fire after hitting a tree; Atkinson reported hospitalized and car severely damaged.
Film: 'Johnny English Reborn' released
Returned as Johnny English in the sequel Johnny English Reborn (2011).
Appeared as Mr. Bean in 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony
Performed a comedy sketch as Mr. Bean during the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony (27 July 2012).
Reprised Blackadder at 'We Are Most Amused' gala
Reprised the character Edmund Blackadder for new material at The Prince's Trust comedy gala (28 Nov 2012).
Appointed CBE (Birthday Honours)
Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity.
Started relationship with Louise Ford
Began a relationship with comedian Louise Ford after meeting while performing in a play; he was 58 and she was 32 at the time (reported 2013).
Announced Mr. Bean animated revival (ITV) and TV advert for Snickers
ITV announced a new animated Mr. Bean series (Atkinson to return); Atkinson also appeared as Mr. Bean in a Snickers TV advert (Oct 2014).
Mr. Bean sketch for Comic Relief (Red Nose Day)
Appeared alongside Ben Miller and Rebecca Front in a Comic Relief sketch reviving Mr. Bean (2015).
Separated (2014) and divorced Sunetra Sastry (2015)
Separated from wife Sunetra Sastry in 2014 and divorced in 2015 after 25 years of marriage; he and Sastry had two children together.
Divorce finalized from Sunetra Sastry
Finalised divorce in 2015 on grounds of unreasonable behaviour after separation in 2014. They had two children together.
Portrayed Jules Maigret on ITV ('Maigret')
Starred as fictional French police commissioner Jules Maigret in ITV's Maigret series (2016–2017).
Appeared in Chinese film 'Huan Le Xi Ju Ren' (Top Funny Comedian)
Appeared as Mr. Bean in the Chinese film Huan Le Xi Ju Ren (2017).
Mr. Bean social & digital reach milestone (2018–2020)
By 2018 Mr. Bean's YouTube had >10M subscribers and >6.5 billion views; by July 2020 Mr. Bean's Facebook page had ~94M followers.
Received YouTube Diamond Play Button (10M subscribers)
As Mr. Bean, his YouTube channel surpassed 10 million subscribers and in Oct 2018 he received YouTube's Diamond Play Button; channel had over 6.5 billion views in 2018.
Film: 'Johnny English Strikes Again' released
The third Johnny English film, Johnny English Strikes Again, was released on 5 October 2018.
Reported son Benjamin served with the Brigade of Gurkhas
Reported in 2019 that his son Ben had served as an army officer with the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Animated Mr. Bean Series: Series 3 announced and aired
Regular Capital announced a third series in Feb 2018 and two segments of series 3 aired 9 April 2019; all three series (104 episodes) sold to China's CCTV-14 in Feb 2019.
Appeared as Mr. Bean in Etisalat commercial
Narrated and starred in a multi-character Mr. Bean commercial for Etisalat (Feb 2019).
Released TV series 'Man vs. Bee' (2022)
Featured in the 2022 series Man vs. Bee (role and project listing included in filmography).
Featured in 'Wonka' (film)
Played Father Julius in the 2023 film Wonka, a prequel exploring Willy Wonka's origins.
Published Guardian opinion piece on electric vehicles
Authored an opinion piece about electric vehicles (June 2023), critiquing aspects of EV technology and perceptions; later cited in House of Lords report.
House of Lords report referenced his EV article
A February 2024 House of Lords report partly blamed Atkinson for poor EV sales in the UK, criticising his June 2023 Guardian piece.
Fourth 'Johnny English' film announced (casting return)
It was announced in February 2024 that Rowan Atkinson would return to star in a fourth Johnny English film.
Key Achievement Ages
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