Rowan Atkinson Says He Actually “Dislikes” Mr. Bean and Calls the Character a “Selfish, Self Serving” Anarchist
Rowan Atkinson has spent more than three decades delivering some of the most iconic comedy characters ever created, but it turns out one of his biggest wasn’t exactly built to be lovable.
While celebrating his Netflix series Man Vs Baby at a special screening in London, the actor opened up about his complicated feelings toward Mr. Bean, and he didn’t hold back his feelings.
Atkinson has massive global recognition because of Mr. Bean, which I think is a hilarious character! Yet he was very clear about how he views the character on a personal level.
He said, “I dislike Mr. Bean as a person, I certainly would never like to have dinner with him.” He followed that up by acknowledging that audiences adore Bean’s strange charm, though even he sees the appeal.
“But at the same time, I like him as a character, because he is possibly a bit like I was at age 10 – that sort of childish sort of selfishness and working things out in a slightly eccentric way. But at the same time, I wouldn’t want him in my house.”
It’s an interesting contrast considering Mr. Bean is one of the UK’s biggest comedy success stories since its 1990 debut. The character has reached more than 190 countries, and the official YouTube channel has racked up more than 12 billion views with 35 million subscribers.
Bean’s slapstick, almost silent style still hits new generations of viewers, and Atkinson recognizes that this mix of physical comedy chaos and innocence is what fuels the character’s longevity. It just doesn’t make him pleasant.
While talking about how Bean compares to his other roles, Atkinson pointed to Man Vs Baby protagonist Trevor Bingley as practically the opposite.
He described the tone of his past characters with blunt clarity. “Trevor Bingley, in his basic form, is arguably one of the nicest people I’ve ever played.
“Because I think most people I’ve played are sort of deeply unpleasant, really, you know, Mr Bean is a selfish, self serving, anarchic child. Blackadder, is a sort of sarcastic and sardonic and basically negative force, I think.”
He didn’t spare Johnny English either. “Even Johnny English is a sort of vain, sort of charmless. I think actually, Trevor has turned out to be one of my more pleasant, amenable creations. I quite like playing the nice guy which I haven’t done very often.”
Fans hoping for more Man Vs… adventures may have to wait. Atkinson isn’t currently committed to a Season 3 and made it clear that its fate depends entirely on viewer response, not critics. This isn’t a surprise coming from someone who avoids reviews altogether.
As he explained, “I haven’t read a review or critique of anything I’ve done since the 20th century so I don’t know what reviewers, pundits and critics think of what I do, because the only thing that interests me is how many people watch this, and would they like to watch more? That’s the litmus test, and the sign of success, to me.”
Even if Atkinson would never invite Mr. Bean over for dinner, the character’s place in comedy history is secure. At least for me, the character always makes me laugh!