Sharp-tongued comic performer known for playing sardonic characters on English TV. Atkinson began his career writing with Richard Curtis (who went on to script much of Atkinson's subsequent work) and performing in comedy revues throughout England. This led to a stint on the celebrated comedy series, "Not the Nine O'Clock News", for which he wrote and acted. Atkinson became famous starring in "The Blackadder", a BBC "situation tragedy" co-written with Curtis. The show spawned three sequel series--"Blackadder II", "Blackadder the Third" and "Blackadder Goes Forth"--which chronicled the life of the initially aristocratic Edmond Blackadder and his gradual descent down the English social ladder. Miranda Richardson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry co-starred with Atkinson in the show's various incarnations.Atkinson's film career has been less exalted, consisting of small comic supporting roles in the Curtis-scripted "The Tall Guy" (1989), Nicolas Roeg's "The Witches" (1990), "Hot Shots! Part Deux" (1993) and a scene-stealing turn as a cleric prone to malapropisms in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994). Back on English TV, he and Curtis wrote and Atkinson starred in "Mr. Bean" (1990-92), a near-silent comedy series that showcased the performer's considerable physical comic abilities. Atkinson took this accident-prone character to the big screen in the mildly enjoyable "Bean" (1997). Additionally, he returned to the series format as a by-the-book police commander in "The Thin Blue Line" (BBC, 1996-98).
In 1999 Atkinson reprised the role of Edmond Blackadder for the first time in a decade for "Blackadder: Back and Forth," a three-minute short in which he co-starred with the entire original cast, and he assumed the role of the latest incarnation of the British sci-fi cult hero Dr. Who for the satirical "Comic Relief: Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death." He also hilariously cameoed in the uneven romance "Maybe Baby" (2000) alongside a host of famous name talents from the UK British for writer-director Ben Elton, a frequent Atkinson colleague. Joining another huge ensemble of comedic talents, Atkinson's next major American outing was director Jerry Zucker's manic but lackluster caper film "Rat Race" (2001), a nod to the big comedies with outsized casts of the 1960s. He vocally reprised Mr. Bean for an British animated series in 2002, and that same year also helped bring a classic animated series to life on the big screen as Spooky Island Owner Emile Mondavarious in "Scooby Doo."
In 2003 Atkinson returned to the big screen again as accident-prone secret agent "Johnny English," a character he first created for a series of English credit card commericals from 1992 to 1998/ Reteaming with his frequent producing collaborator Tim Bevan of Working Title Films, Atkinson developed the movie's story and gags over several months with screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade--who previously penned the honest-to-goodness 007 films "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day"--and director Peter Howitt. The spy comedy proved to be an international sensation, grossing over $100 million in its first 39 days of release even before it was opened in the United States. He then made another scene-stealing cameo appearance as a jewelry salesman in Curtis' self-penned directorial debut "Love Actually" (2003).
Profession(s):
Actor, comedian, writer
Sometimes Credited As:
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson
CableACE Award Best Comedy Special "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" 1994
BAFTA Award Best Comedy Series "Blackadder Goes Forth" 1989
BAFTA Award Comedy Award "Not the Nine O'Clock News" 1980
Society of West End Theatres (SWET) Award Best Comedy Performance "Rowan Atkinson in Revue" 1980 - 1981
2007 Reprised role of Mr. Bean for "Mr. Bean's Holiday"
2006 Cast in the leading role of a village vicar in the British comedy "Keeping Mum"
2003 Starred as a bumbling spy who can't get anything right in the comedy "Johnny English"
2001 Offered a scene-stealing comic turn as an Italian tourist who is selected to participate in a "Rat Race"
2000 Appeared in "Maybe Baby"
1997 Reprised role of Mr. Bean for the big screen comedy "Bean"
1995 Starred in the British sitcom "Thin Blue Line"
1990 - 1992 Co-wrote (with Richard Curtis) and starred in the English series, "Mr. Bean"
1989 Starred in the West End production of "The Sneeze"
1989 Starred in "Blackadder Goes Forth"
1987 Starred in "Blackadder the Third"
1986 Starred in "Blackadder II" (first collaboration with Ben Elton)
1985 Starred in the West End production of "The Nerd"
1983 Co-wrote (with Richard Curtis) and starred (in the title role) as the BBC-TV series, "The Blackadder"
1983 First non-comic feature role, "Never Say Never Again"
1980 Named BBC Personality of the Year
1979 Joined the English series "Not the Nine O'Clock News" as a writer (with Richard Curtis) and performer
1979 Feature acting and writing debut, "The Secret Policeman's Ball"
1977 Wrote and performed comedy revues with Richard Curtis at the Oxford Playhouse and the Edinburgh Fringe
