Biographic - Sunday August 21, 2011 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Rowan Atkinson was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, on January 16, 1955. He attended Cathedral Chorister school in Durham, at the same time as subsequent British prime minister Tony Blair and later earned an Oxford University degree in electrical engineering. He was still at University when he first began to attract attention for his comedy performances and began to collaborate with screenwriter Richard Curtis- an association that has continued throughout their careers. Following a string of BBC Radio comedy shows, Atkinson found fame in the quickfire sketch show "Not The Nine O'Clock News" which ran on BBC TV for 3 years from 1979. "Blackadder" debuted in 1983. The first series of the historical sitcom was set in the middle ages. Subsequent series featured Blackadder's descendants and were set in the Elizabeth and regency periods, with the fourth series set in the trenches of the first world war. If "Blackadder" debuted in 1983, the first series of the historical sitcom was set in the middle ages. Subsequent series featured Blackadder's descendants and were set in the Elizabethan and regency periods, with the fourth series set in the trenches of the First World War. If "Blackadder" established Atkinson as a major star in the U.K. his next creation- the hapless, bumbling "Mr. Bean" made him a star more than 240 territories worldwide, and spawned an animated cartoon series and two feature films. He also starred in a police sitcom "The Thin Blue Line" His big-screen credits have ranged from the unofficial James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" through such rom-coms as "Four Weddings And A Funeral" and "Love Actually" to the animated smash hit "The Lion King." His latest movie- "Johnny English Reborn" sees him revisit the spoof secret agent he first portrayed in 2003 "Johnny English."

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