Mr. Bean is one character that has fans across many generations. To others though it is a complete mystery. Mr. Bean only had 14 episodes and in those 14 episodes he never really said anything. How then in just 14 episodes did Rowan Atkinson create a character that the world loves even if he doesn’t say a word?
If the world spun a different way it may never have happened. Atkinson was studying engineering at university and may have become a mild-mannered professional. However one night he decided to do some stand-up and in the process of getting ready, he looked in the mirror. He looked in the mirror and started to contort his face into different shapes. At that moment he realized that his face could become pretty amusing. He has never looked back since.
He had a friend at university named Richard Curtis and it was the combination of the duo that made Mr. Bean such a success. Richard Curtis is famous not only for Mr.Bean but for writing and directing Four Weddings and A Funeral and Love Actually. He also worked with Atkinson on his other shows like Blackadder.
It was this combination of an incredible writer and an incredible actor that caused the hit success of Mr.Bean. The situations that he finds himself are simply hilarious and the acting of Atkinson makes them belly-bursting incredible. There is one French man who is also responsible.
Rowan Atkinson says that his main inspiration for Mr.Bean was a French comic named Jacques Tati who was born in 1907 and died in 1982. In 1953 he released a movie called Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday. Atkinson says that he marveled at the ability of this person to create such humorous situations in such a slow and thoughtful way. The idea of expressing each seen without any words and only using expressions was inspired by this man.
Mr. Bean has become a staple of Britain and the people who live there. The small three-wheel car, the brown suit, and the little teddy bear can still be spotted in tourist shops up and down the country as the love for Mr.Bean has never faded. If you walk down the streets of London you may even come across a Mr.Bean impersonator who will happily say nothing for a small donation.
Mr. Bean has reappeared on our screens in one hit movie as well as a number of charity installments and advertisements. While money will always bring Mr.Bean out of retirement to advertise snickers or something else, Rowan Atkinson doubts that Mr.Bean will ever return in a series format. He argues that in 14 episodes they did everything that they should with the character and that doing any more would be a disservice to the legacy. However, he also says that we should never say never.
In modern cinema we see too often old shows and movies return in modern formats and are absolutely ruined. Whether it is the Disney Live-Action remakes that just leave a sour taste in your mouth, the Star Wars reboots that just don’t have the same feel as the originals (and frankly leave us confused on where to start watching all the movies). Perhaps it is better that we leave Mr.Bean on the shelf and return only to admire the work that was once done not to recreate a masterpiece. One thing is for certain, there is no other actor that could ever do what Atkinson did with this character. If he is not on board with a remake it should never be done.
The legacy of Mr.Bean
