Rowan Atkinson has announced to the media that he is planning to retire from the comedy character ‘Mr Bean’. It’s kind of ironic that, for Atkinson, playing a role that brings smile to so many faces has actually become “a little boring.”
I remember Jerry Lewis tickling our funny bones back in the older days. Then came Peter Sellers as the lovable ‘Inspector Clouseau’ in the classic ‘Shot in the Dark’ and the Pink Panther movie series. Rowan Atkinson brilliantly continued that trend with Mr. Bean and Johnny English. I felt Mr. Bean is way better than anything that pervert Pee Wee Herman can do. But now he is retiring!
Mr. Bean started as a series, which talked about the character “Mr. Bean” that Atkinson developed while studying for his master’s degree at the Oxford University. It was his first debut in the television series that came in 14 seasons from 1990-1995. He was also the star of his own animated series that ran from 2002-2004 and he also acted in two feature films, “Bean” and “Mr. Bean’s Holiday”
Atkinson described Mr. Bean as a “child in a man’s body,” a joyfully, cheerful, insensible man who somehow managed to direct and overcome everyday challenges and obstacles through innocence and general cluelessness. More the stupidity of the act, more did it spread smiles and tons of laughter in millions of households across the world.
A character, who rarely speaks was compared to roles played by Charlie Chaplin and those of other silent actors known for physical comedy and theatricality. But now the actor feels that the stuff that has been commercially successful is going to do a lot less. Apart from the fact of decline in physical ability, the Actor feels a little sad too because of the end of the character “Mr Bean”. In future, he hopes to see himself in a different light as he prepares to make his “straight play” debut in the revival of Simon Gray’s “Quartermaine’s Terms” in London’s West End.
I remember watching the movie “From Here To Eternity” and hearing the catcalls when the guy who played ‘Superman’ on the TV show was on screen,( was it George Reeves?), and I thought then that this guy could never be perceived as anything or anyone else. I later found out that his part in the movie was reduced to only one or two scenes because of the public’s response to him. It must be terribly hard for having created a character with so much genuineness, and then be forever thought of as only that particular character. So its good luck for Rowan!
One of the very first things I ever watched on cable television was Mr. Bean, the episode wherein he painted his apartment. It was brilliant! Sad to see that character go away now, but I wish Mr. Atkinson the very best for his future endeavors. It’s hard to successfully change genres when you’ve been doing the same type for so long, but if anyone can do it, I know he can too!