Who Is Rowan Atkinson When He's Not Mr. Bean?

Rowan Atkinson is a unique comedian. Without saying too many words, he makes people laugh through his embodiment of Mr. Bean's character. The British actor debuted the persona in 1990 on the ITV's show of the same name, and it has become a cultural phenomenon ever since. Although the live-action series only lasted for five years, Mr. Bean's franchise has continued to rise through its animated shows & several film adaptations.

However, there is so much to the actor besides portraying a "child in a grown man's body." In contrary to Mr. Bean, Atkinson is intelligent: he created the character when he was finishing his master's study at Oxford University and has become an avid spokesperson for freedom of speech. To sum it up, this is Rowan Atkinson's life outside Mr. Bean.

9 Flew His Private Plane After His Pilot Suddenly Fainted

In 2001, Atkinson found himself in a dramatic mid-air rescue effort. He flew to Kenya for a vacation trip with his wife, Sunetra, and their two children with a private Cessna 202 aircraft. However, the pilot suddenly fainted in the air when they were about 45 minutes into their journey to Nairobi's Wilson Airport. As reported by BBC Entertainment, the actor was forced to take control of the plane despite never having piloted any plane before.

8 Rowan Atkinson Was Married To His Longtime Sweetheart

So, who is Sunetra? Speaking of his personal life, Rowan Atkinson and Sunetra Sastry met in the late 1980s. At the time, she was working as a makeup artist for the BBC, where Atkinson rose to prominence thanks to his BAFTA Awards-winning performance in the network's Not the Nine O'Clock News. Unfortunately, after living together for decades, the pair finalized their divorce paperwork in November 2015.

7 Raised Three Children From His First Marriage

Atkinson and Sastry have welcomed two children from their 1990 marriage: Benjamin, now aged 28, and Lily, now 26. Fast forward to 2021, the two children have grown to be amazing adults. Ben is a skillful horse trainer and Lily is an absolute beauty. After the divorce, Atkinson met fellow actress Louise Ford on West End production Quartermaine's Terms in 2012, began dating in 2014 and welcomed his third child in 2017.

6 Rowan Atkinson Received A Commander of the Most Excellent Order From The British Empire

In 2013, as reported by the BBC, Atkinson had been appointed a CBE by the British Kingdom for his service in comedy, drama, and charity. In that year, he and his Blackadder co-star Tony Robinson had been recognized in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, with the latter receiving a knighthood.

5 He Parodied James Bond In The 'Johnny English' Series

Rowan Atkinson is known for his parody work. He's parodied many box office hits, including the Rambo series with Hot Shots! Part Deux in 1993 and James Bond parody in the Johnny English series. Despite the mixed reviews it received from the critics, the franchise, which spans three films from 2003 until 2018, has amassed a whopping $479.6 million gross worldwide.

4 Ventured Into Theatrical Work

Many A-list actors had kicked off their careers in theatres, and Atkinson is one of them. In 2009, the British actor portrayed the role of Fagin during the West End revival of Oliver!. Based on Charles Dicken's Oliver Twist, the play landed him an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor.

3 Rowan Atkinson Criticized The Rise Of Cancel Culture

Atkinson has also spoken about the rise of internet cancel culture. For a comedian like him, cancel culture is equivalent to "the digital equivalent of the medieval mob."

"The problem we have online is that an algorithm decides what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic, binary view of society," the actor weighed his opinion during an interview with Radio Times. "It becomes a case of either you're with us or against us. And if you’re against us, you deserve to be 'canceled.'"

2 Starred As Jules Maigret On ITV's Series Adaptation

Speaking of his career, Atkinson is actually a versatile actor who excels in any type of genre. In 2016, he served as the lead character and the French detective on ITV's series adaptation of George Simenon's classic book Maigret. The series was a critical success, but it only amassed two seasons and four episodes.

Up to this writing, Rowan Atkinson has been having quite a popularity on social media, which he mainly enjoys through his Mr. Bean persona. In October 2018, the actor brought back his iconic character to celebrate receiving YouTube's Diamond Play Button for surpassing ten million subscribers. On Facebook, Mr. Bean has also become one of the most followed pages on the platform.

So, what's next for Mr. Bean? It looks like the actor is eyeing to retire the character for good. During the same Radio Times interview, he revealed that "the weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it."

Next: Mr. Bean Is Way Smarter Than People Think