Rowan Atkinson
Birthname Rowan Sebastian Atkinson Birthdate January 6, 1955 Birthplace Consett, United Kingdom Height 5' 11 1/4" (1.81 m) Weight 181 lbs (82 kg) Education The Queen's College, Oxford, St. Bees School, Chorister School, Durham, Newcastle University Profession Comedian Net worth $150,000,000 Source of Wealth FIlm, Television Nationality British Country United Kingdom Marital Status Divorced (Sunetra Sastry) Children 3 (Lily, Benjamin, Isla)Quick Links
English comedian, screenwriter, and actor, Rowan Sebastian Atkinson, CBE, has a net worth of $150 million. Atkinson made his name with the British television program Not the Nine O’Clock News which ran from 1979-1982 and later Blackadder, but it was Mr. Bean and later Johnny English that made his fortune, with a total gross income of $618 million at the box office.
He was born Rowan Sebastian Atkinson on 6 January 1955 in Consett, County Durham, in the United Kingdom. His parents were Eric - a farmer and company director - and Ella May Atkinson. Rowan was the youngest of four boys. All the Rowan boys attended Durham Choristers School - alongside future British Prime Minister Tony Blair - and St Bees School. Rowan won a place at Newcastle University studying for an undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In 1975 he continued his education at Queens College, Oxford, gaining an MSc in Electrical Engineering in 1978.
In 1979 Atkinson starred in a BBC Radio 3 comedy series called The Atkinson People, which was written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis, and produced by Griff Rhys Jones. That same year he made a one-off pilot for London Weekend Television called Canned Laughter. Soon after he became a regular on the satirical sketch show Not The Nine O'Clock News at the BBC, where he both acted and wrote.
This led to a lead role as Edmund Blackadder in Blackadder - a historical sitcom that ran for four seasons between 1983 and 1989. Blackadder became one of the BBC's most successful sitcoms of all time, with Atkinson's character Edmund ranked third in a 2001 Channel 4 poll of the 100 Greatest TV Characters - after Homer Simpson and Basil Fawlty.
Atkinson's most famous and lucrative character, however, was Mr. Bean. First appearing on British TV on New Year's Day 1990, and running until 1995 with only 15 episodes made. The series is shown on more airlines than any other in-flight feature, was sold in 94 countries, earning Atkinson around $9 million. The series spawned two feature films - 1997's Bean and Mr. Bean's Holiday in 2007, and Atkinson has played Mr. Bean in numerous TV commercials and film cameos. The Official Mr. Bean YouTube channel has over 10 million subscribers and is one of the most-watched channels in the world, racking up more than 6.5 billion views in 2018 alone. In 2014 he launched Mr. Bean: The Animated Series with ITV, which has been sold worldwide.
His film acting career also includes the Johnny English series, based on a character he initially played in a Barclaycard commercial. He's appeared in The Witches (1990), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), The Lion King (1994), Love Actually (2003).
As well as television and film acting, he also performs on stage, and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2009 for his portrayal of Fagin in a West End production of the musical Oliver!
In February 1990, Atkinson married makeup artist Sunetra Sastry. The couple had met while both working at the BBC in the late 1980s. They had two children - Benjamin and Lily - and separated in 2014. They owned several properties together, with Atkinson moving into a $5.5 million London cottage following their split, and Sastry remaining at their central London home, worth $29 million. In 2016 he sold his Grade II-listed, five-bedroom home in Waterperry for $3.3 million. The house is set on six acres and includes an indoor pool, outdoor tennis court, and fitness complex.
Soon after, Atkinson began dating Louise Ford - the couple have been together ever since and have a daughter together, Isla, who was born in 2017.
Alongside his high-profile acting career, Atkinson also owns a production company, Hinmeck, which was reportedly earning him $2.6 million per year in the late 1990s. He's also appeared in several advertising campaigns, including for M&Ms and Barclaycard.
Atkinson is passionate about cars, and his collection includes a Jaguar Mk7, Honda NSX, Aston Martin DB2, vintage Ford Falcon, 1939 BMW 328, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe. When he appeared on the BBC's flagship driving show, Top Gear, in 2011 he recorded the fastest ever celebrity driving time at 1:42.2 - significantly faster than the second, set by Tom Cruise at 1:44.2. In 2013 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to drama and charity.
Sources: Wikipedia, Express, Money Inc, Standard
This article was updated on April 6, 2021 by Poppy O'Neill
Earnings & Financial Data
Date | Category | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Salary | Salary from production company | $1,700,000 |
2019 | Salary | Salary from production company | $1,700,000 |
2018 | Salary | Salary from production company | $1,700,000 |
2017 | Salary | Salary | $1,700,000 |
2016 | Sale of Asset | Sale of house | $3,300,000 |
2014 | Sale of Asset | Market value of his McLaren F1 upon sale (£8million). | $12,000,000 |
2012 | Royalties | Earnings from Mr. Bean after being sold to an astonishing 94 countries and turned into a film and an animated series. | $11,000,000 |
2012 | Salary | Earnings from Blackadder series. | $1,000,000 |
2012 | Sponsorship | Endorsement earnings from banks. | $1,000,000 |
2005 | Asset | Market value of his Handsmooth House in Oxfordshire. | $4,400,000 |
1997 | Asset | Market value of his Aston Martin V-8 Zagato car. | $117,000 |
1996 | Asset | Market value of his McLaren F1 car. | $1,080,000 |
1996 | Salary | Atkinson gave himself a pay from his own company, Hindmeck (£1.34 million) | $1,900,000 |
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmnJ2cmq%2BvsdOwpqusmGSwprjEm2acp52asaqtzWipqK%2BRo3qiwMqipaynnmK7psCMsKarrJhk