30 must-read facts on Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean as he marks 30 years on screen

Mr Bean is the idiot man child whose madcap antics have made him a worldwide phenomenon since he first bumbled across our screens in 1990.

Played by Rowan Atkinson, he was never expected to be more than a one-series wonder. But 30 years on, he has a huge global fanbase and is a social media megahit with movies, animations, games, apps and merchandise. He even has his face in a rice paddy in China.

Rowan, 65, is not surprised. He says: “Mr Bean is essentially a child in a man’s body. Across all races and cultures, the behaviour of children tends to be the same and is easily identified and laughed at. Childish, anarchic behaviour will always be funny.”

To celebrate Mr Bean’s birthday milestone, we are bringing you an exclusive illustration of him enjoying his Daily Mirror and 30 facts about one of TV’s best-loved characters…

1. Atkinson invented the character while he was studying for a master’s degree at Oxford University.

2. In a 2014 British Council survey, Mr Bean was voted one of the greatest Brits, ahead of Princess Diana, Sir Paul McCartney and Charlie Chaplin.

3. Mr Bean has 98 million followers on Facebook, making his the 14th biggest Facebook page globally, bigger than Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

4. Mr Bean’s shows and animations are screened in 190 countries.

5. Mr Bean is huge in China, with the face of Rowan Atkinson’s character crafted into a rice paddy in Shenyang.

6. He has also been immortalised in wax in a Chinese wax museum, alongside Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un.

7He is double diamond on YouTube with more than 20 million followers.

8. Atkinson developed the original Mr Bean TV show with Ben Elton and Love, Actually director Richard Curtis.

9. He was originally set to be called Mr White or Mr Cauliflower.

10. Mr Bean performed at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics with a rendition of Chariots of Fire.

11. Nobody knows Mr Bean’s first name. In his passport he is simply Mr Bean.

12. Mr Bean’s only friend was a teddy bear he called “Teddy.” The original was donated by Atkinson to Gyles Brandreth’s Teddy Bear Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon, then later auctioned and sold for £180.

13. Mr Bean’s girlfriend Irma Gobb was played by actress Matilda Ziegler.

14. Atkinson retired Mr Bean in 2012 as he felt playing the character was becoming harder in his fifties, saying: “Playing a child-like figure at that age becomes a bit sad.” He returned for a special for the 25th anniversary.

15. The first Mr Bean movie, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, was a massive success, taking almost £200million worldwide.

16. Rowan Atkinson’s daughter Lily made a cameo appearance in the second movie, Mr Bean’s Holiday.

17. Mr Bean drives a citron-green 1977 British Leyland Mini 1000, Mark 4. It is on display in the National Motor Museum and Collections Centre in Hampshire.

18. Rowan Atkinson went to school with former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair.

19. The character of Mr Bean was influenced by the French silent comedy star Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot.

20. Mr Bean has been part of the in-flight entertainment on more than 100 airlines.

21. Mr Bean lives alone at Flat 2, 12 Arbour Road, Highbury, and is almost always seen in his tweed jacket and a skinny red tie.

22. The Latin theme tune to the shows was sung by the Southwark Cathedral choir.

23. He makes an appearance in the music video of the Boyzone song Picture Of You.

24. When meeting the Queen in a line-up at The Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square, Mr Bean accidentally head-butted her as he prepared to bow.

25. At its peak, Mr Bean episodes attracted 18 million viewers.

26. A Mr Bean lookalike Brit stranded in Wuhan in the pandemic became a social media star, with 400 million Chinese social media followers.

27. Mr Bean was a contestant on Blind Date with Cilla Black in 1993.

28. Mr Bean has appeared in TV ads for Nissan, M&Ms and Snickers.

29. Rowan Atkinson is estimated to be worth around £120million.

30. Mr Bean has been nominated for five BAFTAs and in 1990 won the Golden Rose at the Rose D’Or Light Entertainment Festival.