‘I look forward to the end of it’: Rowan Atkinson reveals he finds playing Mr Bean ‘stressful and exhausting’ and hints he will never play role again
He in the middle of developing an animated movie of Mr Bean.
But Rowan Atkinson has revealed he doesn’t enjoy playing the famous character.
The actor, 65, has played the title character in a successful series since 1990 until 1995, with a films Bean Movie in 1997 and Mr Bean’s Holiday in 2007, but now admitted he finds the role ‘stressful and exhausting’.
Revelation: Rowan Atkinson has revealed he doesn’t enjoy playing the famous character much
Speaking in the upcoming issue of Radio Times, Rowan said: ‘Having made an animated TV series, we’re now in the foothills of developing an animated movie for Mr Bean – it’s easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually.
‘I don’t much enjoy playing him. The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it.
‘I don’t actually like the process of making anything – with the possible exception of Blackadder, because the responsibility for making that series funny was on many shoulders, not just mine.’
Success: The actor, 65, has played the title character in a successful series since 1990 until 1995, with a films Bean Movie in 1997 and Mr Bean’s Holiday in 2007
New interview: The Johnny English star was speaking in an interview with the Radio Times
The Johnny English star isn’t surprised about the success of his character, saying: ‘Mr Bean’s success has never surprised me.
‘Watching an adult behaving in a childish way without being remotely aware of his inappropriateness is fundamentally funny.
‘The fact the comedy is visual rather than verbal means it has been successful internationally, too.’
Rowan wrote and starred in Blackadder between 1983 and 1989 and said the most optimistic he could be about a revival is that it is ‘certainly not impossible’.
Speaking on whether Edmund could resurface, he said: ‘It’s certainly not impossible. That’s about as optimistic as I can be, and I’d rather not speculate on when it could be set.
‘But Blackadder represented the creative energy we all had in the 80s. To try to replicate that 30 years on wouldn’t be easy.’
Optimism? Rowan wrote and starred in Blackadder between 1983 and 1989 and said the most optimistic he could be about a revival is that it is ‘certainly not impossible’