6. Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson will forever be immortalized in television and film lore for his unique and iconic portrayal of Mr. Bean, the well-intentioned gentleman who is as quiet as he is clumsy. The British star continued his work as a hero to underachievers everywhere in Johnny English Reborn, serving as a tribute and parody to James Bond and other spy films from back in the day.
Atkinson is a dying breed, relying on the slapstick humor that became the trademark of some of comedy’s greatest minds, including Charlie Chaplin, the Marx brothers and the minds behind The Three Stooges. However, the actor is far from being the clown that he pretends to be as he has challenged himself to obtain degrees in some challenging professions that require precision.
He studied in his native land, garnering a degree in electrical engineering from Newcastle University as well as an MSc from Oxford of all places. The renowned institution named him as an Honorary Fellow in 2006, but it was his theater work that in the Experimental Theatre Club of Oxford that helped Atkinson make a name for himself. In 2012, he decided to retire his Mr. Bean role due to the fact that he was no longer the spry, young comic that he built his career on.
Discussion about this post