Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an English actor, comedian, and screenwriter best known for his work on the sitcom Mr. Bean. He was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy, and among the top 50 comedians ever in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians. Rowan Atkinson, the youngest of four brothers, was born in Consett, County Durham, England, on 6 January 1955. His parents were Eric Atkinson, a farmer and company director, and Ella May. His three brothers are Paul who died as an infant, Rodney, and Rupert. Atkinson was educated at Durham Choristers School, St. Bees School, and Newcastle University, where he received a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1975, he continued for the degree of MSc in Electrical Engineering at the Queen's College, Oxford, the same college where his father matriculated in 1935, and which made Atkinson an Honorary Fellow in 2006. Atkinson got his start performing sketches while studying at Oxford. Soon, he was entertaining at theater clubs and on comedy shows for BBC Radio 3. In 1979, Atkinson wrote for and starred in the BBC's Not the Nine O'clock News. In 1981, he became the youngest performer to star in a one-man show in the West End. Atkinson later appeared in theatrical productions. He then landed parts on such television shows. In 1990, Atkinson starred as his originally developed character Mr. Bean on the TV series of the same name. The successful comedy series was adapted for film in 1997. Atkinson reprised his famous Mr. Bean character in a comedy sketch at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Atkinson's other film credits include Bean: the Ultimate Disaster Movie (1997), Johnny English (2003), and Keeping Mum (2005). He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. But while most fans recognize him as the bumbling, lovable character Mr. Bean, it is his love of fast cars that is currently attracting the headlines. He is a known car enthusiast and races cars as a hobby. He owns an impressive auto collection. Source: Wikipedia Contributors. Focus On: 100 Most Popular English Male Comedians. Chicago, e-artnow, 2017.​