Richard Curtis is one of the Kings of Comedy, giving us beloved classics including Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Vicar of Dibley and Christmas gem Bernard and the Genie.
Celebrating its 30th birthday on December 23 2021, Bernard and the Genie featured some of the biggest names in comedy including Lenny Henry and Rowan Atkinson, as well as Hollywood actor Alan Cumming in the lead role.
The TV film can finally be enjoyed over again after being added as part of Britbox’s Christmas collection, and Daily Star has taken a look at where the stars are now.
Alan Cumming
(Image: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
Alan Cumming OBE starred as the lovable art dealer Bernard Bottle, who accidentally releases Lenny Henry’s Genie from an antique lamp at home.
A huge star of stage and screen, Alan has had roles in some of the biggest productions including Hamlet and Hollywood films Goldeneye, Eyes Wide Shut and Spice World: The Movie as documentary film maker Piers.
He most recently starred as King James in Doctor Who, providing the voice of Owen in animated series The Prince and went on a road trip around Scotland with actress Miriam Margoyles for the Channel 4 series Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland.
In 2014, he released his first autobiography Not my Father’s Son, followed by a second book in October 2021 called Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life.
Speaking about his new book, he told Closer Magazine that despite the word ‘baggage’ having a negative connotation, he was trying to “turn that into a positive.”
He said: “Everyone has baggage. Everyone has stuff that they deal with in their life. You don’t have to have had a traumatic childhood.
“The idea is that you have a past and it’s good to have baggage. It makes you a stronger, more full, more wise person.”
Away from screens, he is married to illustrator Grant Shaffer. They became civil partners in January 2007 and legally married on the fifth anniversary of their union in 2012.
Rowan Atkinson
(Image: Getty Images for Universal Pictures UK)
Rowan Atkinson played the villainous art dealer Charles Pinkworth, who fires Bernard in order to claim millions for himself.
The actor has become a staple star of many of Richard Curtis’ productions, starring in romantic comedies Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually and comedy series Blackadder.
From playing Blackadder to starring as the iconic Mr Bean and playing spy Johnny English a series of films, Rowan Atkinson has become one of the world’s most beloved actors.
It is no surprise then that the star not only has a huge net worth of $150 million (£113 million), but also has a massive £10 million car collection featuring a McLaren F1, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Ford Falcon Sprint.
The star has even raced a few of his cars, including the BMW 328, at a time trial at the 1000 Miglia race event in Italy in 2011.
In his personal life, Rowan has three children and was married to Sunetra Sastry from 1990-2015.
He is currently dating Louise Ford, who he met in 2013 while they were working on a play together.
Before Rowan, Louise dated the comedian James Acaster, with him telling The Express: “I got left for Mr Bean.
“I found out a year after we split up. I opened the newspaper and there was a full-page story.
“No one else in the history of time has ever been left for Mr Bean.”
Lenny Henry
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Another comedy icon to star in Bernard and the Genie was Lenny Henry, who played the Genie Josephus.
Long before television programmes such as The X Factor, Lenny made his name at the age of 16 on New Faces in 1976, as well as appearing on Tiswas, The Fosters and starring as multiple characters in 1986’s Lenny Henry Tonite and The Lenny Henry Show.
He has most recently appeared in Doctor Who as Daniel Barton, Broadchurch as Ed Bennett and The Syndicate as Godfrey Watson, as well as being listed as appearing in the new Lord of the Rings TV series.
As well as being one the UK’s most beloved stars, he also co-founded Comic Relief in 1986 and has regularly hosted the charity fundraising programme throughout the years.
His career also led him to his future wife and fellow comedian Dawn French, who he was married to from 1984-2010, and with who he has one daughter Billie Henry.
The couple divorced in 2010, but Dawn French told The Mirror that she and Lenny are still very close friends, saying: “Remarkably, we seem to have shifted with relative ease from a 25-year marriage to a lasting friendship.
“I am amazed by us – there is no war, we’ve turned out to be the best of friends.”
Dennis Lill
(Image: Myothertvfootage/Youtube)
Dennis Lill played the hilarious doorman Frank Kepple, who tries to cheer up Bernard, despite always lying about the things that he has achieved in the past.
Viewers might recognise him from another popular BBC comedy however, as he played Cassandra’s father Alan Carr in Only Fools and Horses.
He has been a constant presence on our TV screens, appearing in The Royal, Where the Heart is, Outside Edge and most recently, Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators in 2019.
Outside of acting, he is married to Vanessa Lill and the couple have two children together.
Sir Bob Geldof
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bow)
Along with stars including Gary Lineker and Melvyn Bragg, Sir Bob Geldof made a cameo appearance in Bernard and the Genie in a memorable restaurant scene.
The Band Aid co-founder and Boomtown Rats frontman was knighted for his charity work in 1986, and continues to fundraise for charity, as well as recording Do they know it’s Christmas for further releases as part of Band Aid 20 and Band Aid 30 in 2004 and 2014 respectively.
He also continues to perform with his band The Boomtown Rats, and released the album Citizens of Boomtown in 2020.
The singer recently turned 70 and currently lives in London with wife, the french actress Jeanne Marine, who he has been married to since 2015.
Andree Bernard
After playing Angie in comedy The Brittas Empire, Andree Bernard starred as Judy, the ex-girlfriend of Bernard Bottle in Richard Curtis’ 1991 TV film.
Along with roles in Taggart, Poirot and Silent Witness, Andree went on to have a huge role in the popular Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.
From 2003-2007, she played Liz Burton Taylor in Hollyoaks and its spin-off series including Hollyoaks: Later.
She also had multiple roles in rival soap Doctors between 2003-2014, and most recently starred in programmes including Holby City and film Playing Dead.
Kevin Allen
(Image: Myothertvfootage/Youtube)
Kevin Allen played best friend Kevin in Bernard and the Genie, who runs off with Bernard’s girlfriend at the beginning of the story.
From there he starred in Press Gang, The Comic Strip Presents, The Thin Blue Line as D.C Robert Kray and played Andreas in Trainspotting.
His last onscreen role was in Benidorm in 2007, and Kevin has since moved to work behind the scenes, directing a few episodes of the hit comedy series, as well as Under Milk Wood in 2015.
Since 2000, he has been married to Lauren Madden and they have two children together.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
