Rowan Atkinson

**Rowan Sebastian Atkinson**  (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his characters of Mr. Bean and Blackadder. He has also been in films such as _The Lion King_, voicing  Zazu, the red-billed hornbill and _Johnny English_.   He has been listed in _The Observer_ as one of the 40 funniest actors in British comedy, and amongst the top 40 comedians ever in a 2015 poll of fellow comedians.

## Marriage and children

Rowan Atkinson first met Sunetra Sastry in the late 1980s, when she was working as a make-up artist with the BBC. he got married at the Russian Tea Room in New York City on 5 February 1990. They have two children and lived in Oundle, Northamptonshire as well as in Ipsden, Oxfordshire and in Highbury, London. The couple separated in 2014 and divorced in 2015. Atkinson was formerly in a relationship with actress Leslie Ash.

## Television appearances

- _Canned Laughter_ (1979), an experimental sitcom pilot for LWT
- _The Secret Policeman's Ball_ (1979), a charity special for Amnesty International
- _Not the Nine O'Clock News_ (1979–1982)
- _Peter Cook & Co_ (1980)
- _The Innes Book of Records_ (1980), guest appearance
- _Blackadder_ as Prince Edmund (_The Black Adder_); Lord Blackadder (_Blackadder II_); Edmund Blackadder (_Blackadder III_); Ebenezer Blackadder (_Blackadder's Christmas Carol_); and Captain Blackadder (_Blackadder Goes Forth_) (1983–1989)
- _Saturday Live_ as guest host (1986)
- _Mr. Bean_ as Mr. Bean (1990–2009 various times)
- _Rowan Atkinson Live_ as assorted characters (1992) (VHS of live sketches)
- _Bernard and the Genie_ as Bernard's Boss (1991) (TV movie)
- _Funny Business_ (1992), a documentary about the craft of comedy
- _A Bit Of Fry And Laurie_ (1992), guest appearance
- _The Thin Blue Line_ as Inspector Raymond Fowler (1995–1996)
- _The Story of Bean_ as himself (1997)
- _Blackadder: Back and Forth_ as Black Adder (2000)
- _Mr. Bean (animated TV series)_ as Mr. Bean, voice (2002)
- The Comic Relief "Red Nose Day" telecasts, including appearances in:
    - _Blackadder: The Cavalier Years_ as Edmund Blackadder (1988)
    - _Nosenight sketches_ (1989)
    - _Mr Bean's Red Nose Day_ as Mr. Bean (1991)
    - _(I Wanna Be) Elected_ as Mr. Bean (1992)
    - _Blind Date with Mr Bean_ as Mr. Bean (1993)
    - _Torvill and Bean_ as Mr Bean (1995)
    - _Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death_ as The Doctor (1999)
    - _Popsters_ as Nasty Neville (2001)
    - _Lying to Michael Jackson_ as Martin Bashir (2003)
    - _Spider-Plant Man_ as Peter Piper and Spider-Plant Man (2005)
    - _Mr Bean's Wedding_ as Mr. Bean (2007)
    - _The Greatest Worst Bits of Comic Relief_ as himself (2007)
- _We Are Most Amused_ (2008), a special show to celebrate Prince Charles' 60th birthday
- _Blackadder Rides Again_ as himself (2008)
- _Not Again: Not the Nine O'Clock News_ as himself (2009)
- _Bondi Rescue_ as Mr Bean (2010)
- _Summer Olympics opening ceremony_ as himself/Derek (2012)
- Live from Lambeth Palace sketches: _Archbishop of Canterbury_ (The Comic Relief "Red Nose Day") (2013)
- _Horrible Histories: Henri VIII_ (2015)
- _Mr. Bean - Funeral_ ("Red Nose Day") (2015)
- _Maigret_ as Jules Maigret (2016 + 2017)
- _Red Nose Day Actually_ as Rufus (2017)
- _Handy Bean_ as Mr. Bean (2018-2020)
- _One Red Nose Day and a Wedding_ as	Father Gerald (2019)

## Guest appearances

- _Wogan_ (1988, 1991)
- _Children in Need_ (1988), guest appearance as Mr. E. Blackadder
- _Noel's House Party_, guest appearance as Blackadder
- _Going Live_, guest appearance as Mr. Bean
- _This Morning_ (1995), guest appearance as Mr. Bean
- _Big Breakfast_
- _Parkinson_ (2003)
- _Blue Peter_ (2004, 2007), guest appearance as Mr. Bean
- _London Tonight_ (2005)
- _BBC Breakfast_ (2007)
- _Richard & Judy_ (2007)
- _The Dame Edna Treatment_ (2007), guest appearance as Mr. Bean
- _Top Gear_ (2011)

## Filmography

|Year||Title||Role||Notes|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1979|_The Secret Policeman's Ball_|Various roles|Solo skits, plus with Monty Python||||
|1982|_Fundamental Frolics_|Himself|||||
|1982|_The Secret Policeman's Other Ball_|Himself & various roles|||||
|1983|_Dead on Time_|Bernard Fripp|||||
|_Never Say Never Again_|Nigel Small-Fawcett|a spy film based on the James Bond novel _Thunderball_|||||
|1989|_The Appointments of Dennis Jennings_|Dr. Schooner|Short Film||||
|_The Tall Guy_|Ron Anderson||||||
|1990|_The Witches_|Mr. Stringer|||||
|1991|_The Driven Man_|Himself|TV Also Writer||||
|1993|_Hot Shots! Part Deux_|Dexter Hayman|||||
|1994|_Four Weddings and a Funeral_|Father Gerald|||||
|_The Lion King_|Zazu|Voice Only|||||
|1997|_Bean_|Mr. Bean|Also Writer/Executive Producer||||
|2000|_Maybe Baby_|Mr. James|||||
|2001|_Rat Race_|Enrico Pollini|||||
|2002|_Scooby-Doo_|Emile Mondavarious|||||
|2003|_Johnny English_|Johnny English|||||
|_Love Actually_|Rufus|Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Acting|||||
|2005|_Keeping Mum_|Reverend Walter Goodfellow|||||
|2007|_Mr. Bean's Holiday_|Mr. Bean|Also Writer & Producer||||
|2011|_Johnny English Reborn_|Johnny English|Also Executive Producer||||
|2017|_Huan Le Xi Ju Ren_|Mr. Bean|Cameo appearance||||
|2018|_Johnny English Strikes Again_|Johnny English|||||
|2023|_Wonka_|Father Julius|||||

## Infobox (comedian)

- **name**: Rowan Atkinson
- **image**: Rowan Atkinson, 2011.jpg
- **caption**: Atkinson at the premiere for _Johnny English Reborn_ in 2011
- **birth name**: Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
- **birth place**: Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England
- **height**: 181 cm
- **active**: 1978–present
- **domesticpartner**: Louise Ford
(2004–present)
- **children**: 3
- **relatives**: Rodney Atkinson (brother)