Rowan Atkinson has offered a surprisingly candid reflection on one of his most iconic characters, Mr. Bean. Speaking at a recent London screening of his upcoming Netflix series Man vs Baby, the actor admitted that despite the character’s global popularity, he does not personally find Mr. Bean likable.
Rowan Atkinson reveals his surprising thoughts on Mr. Bean
Atkinson has offered an unexpectedly candid view of Mr. Bean, the character that helped make him a household name. Speaking at a London screening of his upcoming Netflix comedy Man vs Baby, Atkinson remarked that he does not view Mr. Bean as someone he would wish to meet in real life. “I dislike Mr. Bean as a person, I certainly would never like to have dinner with him,” he said to attendees, describing the character as a “selfish, self-serving, anarchic child.”
Atkinson added that the character reminds him of the more impulsive version of himself at age 10. He acknowledged that Mr. Bean’s eccentric behavior is still a big part of the character’s appeal. The actor said, “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.” (via Deadline)
During the discussion, Atkinson went on to compare Mr. Bean with some of his other roles, including Trevor Bingley, the protagonist of Man vs Baby. He noted that Mr. Bean’s behavior may be entertaining on screen. However, it does not make him a “nice guy” like Trevor. He said, “Trevor Bingley, in his basic form, is arguably one of the nicest people I’ve ever played.”
Atkinson also compared playing Trevor and Mr. Bean with his other characters, including Blackadder. He explained, “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.”
