Rowan Atkinson's 9 Most Iconic Roles, Ranked By Rotten Tomatoes
Rowan Atkinson is one of the most well known British actors and comedians in the history of the entertainment industry. He has brought countless classic characters to life and over his career has amassed an impressive filmography that many would be jealous of.
From his time as the hapless Mr. Bean, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, to his performance as the suave yet clumsy spy, Johnny English, he has delighted audiences in a huge array of roles. Reflecting on his career, these are the highest-rated TV shows and films in which he had his most iconic parts.
9 Honorable Mention: The Thin Blue Line (1995 - 1996)
The Thin Blue Line is some of Rowan Atkinson's later work. The series was created by Ben Elton, who is also responsible for other Atkinson classics, like Blackadder. The show depicted a British police station that saw the blunt Inspector Fowler in charge.
This was a chance for Atkinson to play into the sarcastic wit he had honed in his days of stand-up comedy and live shows. The two seasons are lesser-known internationally, but in Britain, they feature one of his most famous roles. Unfortunately, the comedy has not been given a rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
8 Scooby-Doo (2002): 30%
The live-action reboot of Scooby-Doo left a lot to be desired for most critics. A strange iteration of the famous mystery solving group put to screen, the ropey CGI and odd plot all resulted in a lackluster final film. The sequel made up for many of these initial errors, though.
One of the high points of the movie was the decision to cast Rowan Atkinson as Mondavarious. Maniacal, quirky and a bit of a red herring for the villain of the piece, despite his limited screen time and the material given to him, Atkinson managed to make the part really stand out.
7 Johnny English Reborn (2011): 38%
The Johnny English franchise is one of Rowan Atkinson's most well-known film series, although its highest is currently only rated at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite poor reviews, the movies manage to perfectly combine witty one-liners and slapstick comedy.
Atkinson has played the spy three different times now throughout his career, with the character changing with age and maturing over time. The supporting cast is just as wonderous, but the films are at their best when Atkinson can poke fun at the tropes of the Bond franchise.
6 Love Actually (2003): 64%
Rowan Atkinson might have cut his teeth on British sitcoms, but he quickly found himself in a number of memorable supporting roles in larger films. His turn as the jewelry salesman in Love Actually was a brilliant piece of casting.
Appearing in only a few brief scenes, Atkinson absolutely stole the show as he packaged Alan Rickman's gift to his secret lover as if he had all the time in the world, continuously adding embellishments and un-needed accessories, much to the ire of Rickman.
5 The Witches (1990): 93%
Roald Dahl's classic, The Witches, was recently in line for its own reboot that sought to improve upon the original. However, nothing can live up to the casting of Rowan Atkinson as the manager of the Hotel Magnificent, Mr. Stringer.
In a superb performance, Atkinson is consistently on the hunt for the rodents that run rampant through the hotel, of course not quite realizing that some of these are actually children that have been transformed by witches. Stanley Tucci may be a worthy successor, though.
4 The Lion King (1994): 93%
The Lion King may be one of the most beloved and re-watched movies of the 1990s. Although its live-action remake wasn't given the same amount of critical praise, John Oliver put in a valiant effort as the right-hand bird to Mufasa, Zazu.
Rowan Atkinson cast as Zazu was a genius move for Disney, though. With a voice as recognizable as his, Atkinson managed to stand toe to toe with other acting greats, like Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones, and still absolutely shine.
3 Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994): 96%
Four Weddings And A Funeral is another partnership between Atkinson and writer/director Richard Curtis, who have a long history of working with one another. This is another small cameo role once for Rowan Atkinson and one that he absolutely nails.
In fact, he is so fondly remembered as the priest that he was brought back for the reunion special in aid of Comic Relief. Needless to say, Atkinson made a huge impact with the small amount of screentime that he was offered.
2 Blackadder (1983 - 1989): 100%
Blackadder is a highly celebrated British sitcom from the 80s and one that really shot Atkinson to fame. Before his creation of Mr. Bean, Atkinson was not known for silent comedy. Quite the opposite, Blackadder was all about clever wordplay.
Each season developed the time period so that Atkinson could take on new material, with the most critically acclaimed of the show coming when Atkinson entered WWI. The show is not only one of the best of his career, but also still remembered as one of the funniest in British history.
1 Mr. Bean (1990 - 1995): 100%
Despite his long list of amusing and iconic performances, there's still one character that will always be synonymous with Rowan Atkinson. Mr. Bean has starred in his own ongoing TV series, an animated show (for which Atkinson provides the voice) and two feature-length films.
There's actually not that much Mr. Bean content out there, yet with all the hilarious and terrible things the character has done, Bean has somehow managed to find a way to resonate with audiences internationally without barely saying a word.
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