Rowan Atkinson reveals why Mr Bean was “stressful and exhausting”
Following the success of the Monty Python troupe in the 1970s, Cambridge’s world-renowned Footlights student body spawned yet another salient group of stars. The 1981 revue featured Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Rowan Atkinson, Tony Slattery, Penny Dwyer and Paul Shearer and won the inaugural Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The comedy double act Fry and Laurie stemmed immediately from this success. Both actors would soon appear in Blackadder alongside Atkinson between 1983 and ’89. The series elevated Atkinson as a unique force of comic talent, and although his titular role focussed on witty dialogue, it showcased his physically expressive abilities.
Today, most people around the world recognise Atkinson as the goofy misfit Mr Bean from the Richard Curtis-helmed franchise of the same name. The oddball character, whom some conclude to be an anthropomorphic alien, speaks very rarely, instead leaving room for Atkinson’s physical comedy. This quirk allowed the show to transcend language barriers; hence, by the time the original live-action series concluded in 1995, Atkinson was a worldwide star.
“Mr Bean’s success has never surprised me,” Atkinson told the Radio Times in 2021. “Watching an adult behaving in a childish way without being remotely aware of his inappropriateness is fundamentally funny. The fact the comedy is visual rather than verbal means it has been successful internationally, too.”
During the interview, it was noted that Mr Bean had more followers on Facebook than Justin Bieber. “It’s very pleasing that people want to connect with Mr Bean, but I have no desire to have any presence on social media. What happens there is a sideshow in my world,” Atkinson responded, noting, “He actually has a disproportionately high following in Muslim countries and places with stricter creative regimes than our own.”
“A more verbal comic would have difficulties avoiding subjects that offend those with greater sensitivities. But it doesn’t seem to be a problem for Mr Bean,” he explained.
Later, the comedy actor discussed the possibility of working on new episodes of Mr Bean. In recent years, the franchise has traversed into an animated medium, one Atkinson is more comfortable with. “Having made an animated TV series, we’re now in the foothills of developing an animated movie for Mr Bean,” he revealed. “It’s easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually. I don’t much enjoy playing him. The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it.”
Continuing, Atkinson mentioned Blackadder while illustrating his struggle with singular pressure. “I don’t actually like the process of making anything – with the possible exception of Blackadder, because the responsibility for making that series funny was on many shoulders, not just mine.”
Blackadder finished dramatically in 1989 with the end of Blackadder Goes Forth, but it did return in 1999 for a one-off special titled Blackadder: Back & Forth. Atkinson noted that it’s “certainly not impossible” to conceive of a Blackadder reboot but conceded, “That’s about as optimistic as I can be, and I’d rather not speculate on when it could be set. But Blackadder represented the creative energy we all had in the ’80s. To try to replicate that 30 years on wouldn’t be easy.”
Watch some classic clips from the original series of Mr Bean below.
