Over the past 30 years, the character of Mr. Bean has risen to iconic status across the world. However, the actor behind the comedy icon suggested that he is ready to retire the character.
In an interview for Variety, Rowan Atkinson stated that, despite the goofy character's success across the globe, he is less fun to actually play. "I don't much enjoy playing him," Atkinson said. He went on to justify his comment by revealing, "The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it."
The actor has filled the shoes of the character since the debut of the first episode of the British comedy Mr. Bean in 1990. Since then, the character has gone on to appear in an animated series, as well as the two feature movies, Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007). Atkinson even appeared as the character during the opening ceremony of the 2012 summer Olympics in London. He is also scheduled for another appearance in an animated movie, a medium that could allow the character to live on in the future. "It's easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually," he said.
The role is not particularly dialogue heavy, with the show's reliance on physical comedy resulting in few speaking lines. Part of the series' ability to bypass languages and cultures is due to this style of comedy. There are also very few reoccurring characters throughout the stories, with Mr. Bean's solo shenanigans being the focal point of the series. This contrasts with other roles Atkinson took on, such as another iconic character in the BBC series Blackadder. "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," Atkinson said.
This is not the first time Atkinson has expressed a desire to leave the role behind. In 2012 he stated that he was beginning to feel too old for the role, believing it felt less comedic to be acting childlike. Expressing a desire for more serious roles, he went on to star in Maigret, a series about a French detective in the 1950s. However, he did not leave comedy behind and returned as his James Bond parody in Johnny English Strikes Again (2018). He also has an upcoming role in the Netflix comedy Man vs. Bee.
Source: Variety