Rowan Sebastian Atkinson, a renowned British actor, comedian, and screenwriter, was born on January 6, 1955, in Consett, County Durham, UK. He is the son of Ella May (Bainbridge) and Eric Atkinson, who owned a farm where Rowan spent his childhood with his two older brothers, Rupert and Rodney.
Atkinson's academic pursuits took him to Newcastle University and Oxford University, where he earned degrees in electrical engineering. During his time at university, he met screenwriter Richard Curtis, with whom he collaborated on comedy revues.
Later, Atkinson co-wrote and starred in the successful television series Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979),which spawned several best-selling books and earned him numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award and the British Academy Award for "Best Light Entertainment Programme of 1980." He was also named "BBC Personality of the Year" for his performance in the show.
In addition to his work on Not the Nine O'Clock News, Atkinson has appeared in several films, including Dead on Time (1983),Pleasure at Her Majesty's (1976),Never Say Never Again (1983),and The Tall Guy (1989). He is perhaps best known for his iconic character "Mr. Bean," which he played in the television series Mr. Bean (1990).
Atkinson has also appeared in other notable series, such as Blackadder (1982) and Funny Business (1992). Apart from his acting career, Atkinson is an avid car enthusiast and has two children, Benjamin and Lily, with his ex-wife Sunetra Sastry.
