Claim: In 1985, Richard Curtis founded a charity.

Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis , CBE -LRB- born 8 November 1956 -RRB- is a British screenwriter , producer and film director , who was born in New Zealand to Australian parents . One of Britain 's most successful comedy screenwriters , he is known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral , Bridget Jones 's Diary , Notting Hill , and Love Actually , as well as the hit sitcoms Blackadder , Mr. Bean and The Vicar of Dibley . He is also the co-founder of the British charity Comic Relief along with Sir Lenny Henry .   In 2007 , Curtis received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award , the highest award the British Film Academy can give a filmmaker . He received the BAFTA Humanitarian Award at the 2008 Britannia Awards , for co-creating Comic Relief and contributions to other charitable causes . In 2008 he was ranked number 12 in The Telegraph 's list of the `` 100 most powerful people in British culture '' . In 2012 , Curtis was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork -- the Beatles ' Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover -- to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life .