Rowan Atkinson recently shared an unflattering hot take about his iconic character, Mr. Bean, despite being beloved by many audiences around the world.
As many fans know, Atkinson became a global star thanks to the character of Mr. Bean, who has been the focus of a popular '90s live-action show, an animated show, and two theatrical movies. He became beloved due to his hilarious antics and Atkinson's effortless "silent comedy" performance that resonated with many generations of audiences.
However, as he reflects on the character today, Atkinson doesn't have a flattering take about him.
Why Rowan Atkinson Dislikes Mr. Bean
During a recent London screening of his new Netflix series Man vs. Baby (via Deadline), Atkinson shared his reflection on the character of Mr. Bean, and he admitted that he would "dislike" him as a person if he ever met him.
"[He is a] selfish, self-serving, anarchic child. I dislike Mr. Bean as a person; I certainly would never like to have dinner with him," he 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."
Atkinson also compared Mr. Bean to his new character, Trevor Bingley, from Man vs. Baby.
"Trevor Bingley, in his basic form, is arguably one of the nicest people I’ve ever played. 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," he said.
"Even Johnny English is a sort of vain, sort of charmless. I think, actually, Trevor has turned out to be one of my more pleasant, amenable creations. I quite like playing the nice guy, which I haven’t done very often."
What is Man vs. Baby About?
In Man vs. Baby, after a job looking after a high-tech mansion ended in disaster thanks to an irritating insect in Man vs. Bee, Trevor Bingley has left the stressful world of housesitting for the quieter life of a school caretaker. That is, until a lucrative offer to look after a luxury London penthouse over Christmas proves too tempting to resist.
But on the last day of term, when no one comes to collect the Baby Jesus from the school nativity, Trevor finds himself with another undersized and very unexpected companion. With a penthouse to protect and a baby to burp, will Trevor be able to have the calm Christmas he hopes for, or will festivities descend into chaos?
All four 30-minute episodes of the series were recently released on Netflix. There is no official word yet on whether Atkinson will star and produce in another Man vs. series.
Keep it locked on Epicstream, your go-to site for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!