Rowan Atkinson is famously known for his iconic role as Mr Bean. He has been adored by kids and adults for his ability to make us laugh without uttering a word. Other than playing Mr Bean, Atkinson is also known as Johnny English, which by the way is back for its third installment just recently (13th September to be exact). Born on 6 January 1955, Rowan Atkinson is an English actor, comedian, and screenwriter, who has gained worldwide fame through his outstanding performance as Mr. Bean.
Here’s some fun facts about the man himself that will change the way you look at him, forever!
1. A very well-educated man he is
Source: Celebvogue
Atkinson is a graduate from the Newcastle University and the Queen’s College, Oxford. Here is the amazing part: the character Bean was originally developed by Atkinson during his time at Queen’s College, Oxford from where he completed his Master’s degree.
2. The original name for Mr. Bean
Source: Colorful , Boomerangtv
Before Mr. Bean came about, there were several other names were considered, which includes “Mr. White” and “Mr. Cauliflower”. But thankfully, Mr. Bean made the cut because we cannot imagine someone being remembered as cauliflower!
3. He was in one of the James Bond movies
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In one of the Bond franchise, Never Say Never Again (1983), Atkinson played a character called “Nigel Small-Fawcett”, a Foreign Office representative in the Bahamas, who gave an intel to James Bond when he arrived at the Bahamas looking for the villain, Maximillian Largo.
4. He performed at a French-speaking program at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Canada, in 1987.
Rowan Atkinson
‘Mr. Bean’s Holiday’, UK Premiere at Odeon Leicester Square – Arrivals
London, England – 25.03.07
Credit: WENN (Newscom TagID: wennphotos745236) [Photo via Newscom]
Now we can all agree that French is a difficult language to master. For Atkinson, to perform in front of a non English-speaking audiences is a test on his physical comedy skills. He was pretty insistent to do so much although no one can understand him at that moment. The show received a huge positive review and subsequently, landing him a number of international awards including the Rose d’Or. This event also inspired an animated spin-off!
5. He once prevented a plane from crashing
Source: Mind Blowing facts
In March 2001, Atkinson, his wife Sunetra, and their children Ben and Lily were travelling from Ukundu, Kenya, to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. All of a sudden, the pilot of the Cessna 202 aircraft fainted at the controls. Atkinson was forced to take control of the plane and was able fly the small air craft until the pilot regain consciousness later. The pilot was then able to make a safe landing at the airport.
6. He’s a big fan of cars and racing
Source: ShearComfort
Rowen Atkinson is a big fan of cars. He owns many cars including a McLaren F1, Renault 5 GT Turbo, Austin Metro, Škoda Superb, Audi A8, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Some fun facts here: he once stated that he hates Porsche so much that he’s convinced that he could never live with one. Another car-related fun fact about this funny man is that he once claimed a £910,000 insurance for the McLaren F1 after he crashed it into a hedge in Oxfordshire back 2011, which by the way he bought this car for only £540,000!
7. He was knighted by the Queen of England
Source: Zimbio
In recognition of his public and political service, including his services to drama and charity, Rowan Atkinson was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List!
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