Rowan Atkinson was born the youngest of three children on January 6th, 1955 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Although his parents owned a farm, he grew up in a residential area. After finishing Public school (the equivalent of private school in North America), he began working towards an Electrical Engineering Degree at Newport. After transferring to the prestigious Oxford University in 1975, Atkinson met Richard Curtis. They began writing comedy together and made their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. They went over well, and more shows followed.

These early appearances brought Atkinson to the attention of BBC. He made his debut in 1979 starring as three different characters in Canned Laughter, which Atkinson also wrote. This short (26 minute) made-for-TV movie focused on Robert Box. Box is a clumsy office clerk who has to deal with his mean boss. He is also trying to get a date with a colleague. After getting the date, they go to a restaurant where they watch a third-rate comedian. Atkinson played Box, his boss, and the comedian.

The executives at the BBC were now impressed enough with Atkinson that they offered him roles in two British TV series. He turned both of them down, instead opting for his own series, “Not the Nine O’Clock News”. This was the first of the modern BBC sketch shows. The show was a success, winning Atkinson a British Academy Award. He was also named the BBC Personality of the Year for 1980. The show ran from 1980 to 1982.

The next year, Atkinson was one of many prominent British stars to appear in The Secret Policeman’s Ball. Among the people appearing were John Cleese, Michael Palin, Pete Townshend, and Peter Cook. This show was a benefit concert for Amnesty International. It was organised by Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, who would later organise Live Aid. Atkinson also appeared in The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball in 1982. This was basically the same idea, but with the addition of Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Jasper Carrot (“The Detectives”, “Canned Carrot”), Jeff Beck, Sting, and many more.

In a similar vein was Fundamental Frolics (1981). This show featured the cast from “Not the Nine O’Clock News”, as well as Elvis Costello, Ian Dury (Ian Dury and the Blockheads), Rik Mayall, and Alexei Sayle (“The Young Ones”, Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest). This show was a fundraiser for MENCAP, the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults. The title was a play on words: (Fundamental, fund a mental).

When “Not the Nine O’Clock News” ended its run, Atkinson and Richard Curtis came up with a show that introduced one of Atkinson’s most memorable characters. “The Black Adder” starred Atkinson as Prince Edmund ‘Black Adder’, Duke of Ediniburgh. He is the second son of King Richard IV (Brian Blessed), although this is brought into doubt in one episode. He is also a snivelling coward. He has many schemes, in which Baldrick (Tony Robinson) and Lord Percy, Duke of Northumberland (Tim McInnerny) assist him.

The character was an enduring one. “The Black Adder” ran until 1985, when “Blackadder II” replaced it. Atkinson now played Edmund Blackadder, chief courtier to Queen Elizabeth I. He was no longer moronic, but Baldrick was. His chief rival was Lord Melchart, played by Stephen Fry (A Fish Called Wanda, “A Bit of Fry and Laurie”). Also starring in the show were Rik Mayall (“The Young Ones”, Drop Dead Fred, “Bottom”) as Lord Flasheart and Miranda Richardson (Empire of the Sun, The Crying Game) as the queen. In 1987, the shifted forward again to become “Blackadder the Third”. Edmund Blackadder, esquire, was now a servant to Prince George, Prince Regent of regency England. The prince was played by Hugh Laurie (“A Bit of Fry and Laurie”, Sense and Sensibility). Again, Baldrick assisted Blackadder, but Lord Percy was gone.

The next year brought two Black Adder made-for-TV movies. Blackadder’s Christmas Carol was a parody of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It starred Robbie Coltrane (Nuns on the Run, “Cracker”, Goldeneye) as the Spirit of Christmas and Miranda Richardson reprising her role as Queen Elizabeth I. Blackadder: The Cavalier Years was set during the English Civil War and starred Stephen Fry as King Charles I and Warren Clarke as Oliver Cromwell.

1989 brought the final Black Adder series, “Blackadder Goes Forth”. Atkinson was now Captain Edmund Blackadder, who was serving on the front lines of the western front in World War I. The show marked the return of Tim McInnerny as Captain Kevin Darling. He was assisting Blackadder’s insane commander, General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmany Melchet (Stephen Fry). Assisting Blackadder was Lieutenant the Honourable George Colhurst St. Barleigh (Hugh Laurie).

The 1980’s were not completely devoted to playing Black Adder. In 1983, he played a British consul in Never Say Never Again. This was the last James Bond movie with Sean Connery as Bond. It also has Kim Basinger in one of her early roles. In 1985, he starred in the West End theatrical production of “The Nerd”. The next year, he toured the world with his one-man show Rowan Atkinson at the Atkinson. In 1988, he appeared in The Appointments of Dennis Jennings. This show, which co-starred Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) and Steven Wright (the DJ on Reservoir Dogs, Canadian Bacon), won the Best Short Films, Live Action Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

1989 was the year that introduced the character that brought Atkinson worldwide fame. Atkinson has described the title character in “Mr. Bean” as himself when he was nine years old. Although a grown man, Mr. Bean is incredibly childish and rarely speaks. When he does, it is in a croaky voice. The series also featured Robin Driscoll in various roles and Matilda Zeigler as Irma Gobb, Bean’s sometimes girlfriend. The show was a massive hit in England and eventually the rest of the world.

With fame came more movies. The Tall Guy (1989) matched Atkinson with Jeff Goldblum (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Fly, Independence Day) as a comedy duo. Atkinson played Ron Anderson, who was funny, but unpleasant. Goldblum played Dexter King, the tall straight man. King fell in love with Nurse Kate Lemmon (Emma Thompson), who gives him injections for his hay fever. After Anderson fired King, King won the lead role in the musical stage version of “The Elephant Man”. Kate then became highly suspicious that King was having an affair with a cast member and dumped him. King then tried to win her back. Mel Smith, who was part of “Not the Nine O’Clock News”, directed the film. Richard Curtis wrote. The film grossed just over $500 000. This was a pittance compared to many of Atkinson’s and Goldblum’s other films.

Twenty times more successful commercially was The Witches. In this movie, which was based on a book by Roald Dahl, a young boy foils a witch’s plan to turn all English children into mice. Anjelica Huston starred as the head witch. Atkinson played the villainous manager of the hotel in which most of the film takes place. This was the last feature film of Jim Henson (“Sesame Street”, “The Muppets”, “Fraggle Rock”). The movie was directed by Nicolas Roeg (Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth). Despite being too intense for younger viewers but too childish for adults, the film was good.

In 1991, Atkinson appeared in another movie written by Richard Curtis. Bernard and the Genie starred Alan Cumming (Goldeneye, Eyes Wide Shut) as Bernard Bottle, an art buyer. On one bad day, he is fired and is dumped by his girlfriend. Things pick up when he discovers a bottle containing a genie (Lenny Henry of “Chef!”). The genie takes to the modern world immediately. Once in a while he helps out Bernard as well.

On his time off from “Mr. Bean”, Atkinson managed to slip in performances in movies such as The Lion King and Hot Shots! Part Deux. His portrayal of a bumbling novice priest in Four Weddings and a Funeral was particularly memorable. He also made The Driven Man. With the help of two psychologists, Atkinson explained people’s psychological need for motor vehicles. It also provided him with an opportunity to showcase part of his impressive car collection.

When “Mr. Bean” was put to rest in 1995, Atkinson continued his streak of successful comedies with “The Thin Blue Line”. He played Inspector Raymond C. Fowler, head of the Gasworth police station. Among the police officers stationed at the station were Fowler’s long-suffering wife, Sergeant Patricia Dawkins (Serena Evans), the attractive Police Constable Maggie Habib (Mina Anwar), and the effeminate Police Constable Kevin Goody (James Dreyfus).

In 1997, Atkinson made history with Bean. This was the first movie to gross $100 million before being released in the United States. It quickly passed Four Weddings and a Funeral as the best selling British movie. The movie eventually made over $200 million in profit, most of it outside the US. In the movie, Atkinson reprises his role of Mr. Bean. He was working as a caretaker at a prestigious British art museum. His supervisor hated him but couldn’t fire him, so he sents him to an opening in Los Angeles. There, he presided over the opening of “Whistler’s Mother”, the greatest painting in American history. Of course, things go drastically wrong. The movie was loved by some, hated by others. Some of its detractors were fans of the TV show that felt the character lost his charm when stretched out over a whole movie.

Atkinson surfaced again in March 1999 in the British mini-series “Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death”. This was a spoof of the long-running sci-fi series “Doctor Who”. In parody of the TV show’s changing stars, four different actors and one actress play the doctor. They were Atkinson, Richard E. Grant (Hudson Hawk, The Age of Innocence), Jim Broadbent (Brazil, The Avengers), Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley (“Absolutely Fabulous”, Trail of the Pink Panther). Also featured were Jonathan Pryce (Glengarry Glen Ross, “Whose Line is it Anyway?”) as the Master, Dr. Who’s arch-enemy, and Julia Sawalha as Emma.

Atkinson is now one of the world’s most famous and most recognisable comedians. From the witty Black Adder to the slapstick Mr. Bean, he has mastered the full breadth of comedy. He now has two children, Lily and Benjamin, by Susan Sastry, whom he married in 1990. The task of raising these children has reduced his workload lately, even as his career has reached new heights. Whatever does come next will surely continue to stretch new grounds for this highly talented comedian.