Rowan Atkinson is one of the most recognisable people in comedy, but before he blew up in popularity, he asked that his smash show Mr Bean be held back so he could get some rest
Actor Rowan Atkinson has revealed how he banned Italy from airing Mr. Bean in the early 1990s — because he didn’t want to be recognised on holiday there. The 70-year-old played bumbling Mr. Bean for 15 episodes from 1990-1995, with shows getting audiences of close to 20m.
The rights to air the show were sold to 190 countries, almost all of the 195 countries in the world. One of the countries to miss out was Italy.
As creator and star of the show, Rowan said he controlled the distribution rights to the show — and didn’t want it shown in Italy. Asked why, Rowan said: “‘Back in the 90s pre-internet when TV programmes were distributed around the world, I saw the opportunity to stop it (Mr. Bean) being seen in Italy.
“I liked Italy and wanted to go there on holiday without people recognising me. It worked really well and no one had the slightest idea who I was!’
It wasn’t until 1997 that Mr Bean was allowed to be aired in Italy. He also revealed how almost everyone he meets him doesn’t call him Rowan, but Mr Bean — who famously has no first name.
He said: “95 per cent of people who say hello to me on the street refer to me as Mr Bean, and that’s fine.” Rowan has starred in a host of major TV shows and films, including Mr Bean and — most notably — Blackadder.
The comedian and actor recently admitted that some 40 years after it first hit screens, Rowan only then had rewatched the show that catapulted him to fame. The show, which first aired throughout 1983, was a smash with audiences at the time, but actor Rowan was never interested in seeing his acting skills as he continued on with his career.
But whilst travelling on a flight back in 2022, the actor saw that Blackadder was an option for in-flight entertainment, and opted to watch one of his episodes for the first time in decades. And to his surprise, he said the comedy in the show still held up to today’s standards.
“I was on an aeroplane and they had available to watch some of the Blackadder series,” Rowan explained. “And I thought, ‘That’s curious. I haven’t watched the Blackadder for 30 years, I haven’t watched anything.
“So I thought, ‘I might just watch an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth,” he continued. “I watched it and I thought, ‘Actually, that’s quite funny!’”
The series, which aired in 1989, depicted Rowan and a slew of other big names including Tony Robinson and Hugh Laurie as British Army soldiers fighting in World War 1. The series was one of the most iconic editions of the show and continues to spark debates and controversy about history and the way it is taught today, despite being a comedy show.
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