Rowan Atkinson kept Mr. Bean a secret from Italy so he could vacation there in peace

For years, the character of Mr. Bean was a global phenomenon, recognized in almost every corner of the world except one. Rowan Atkinson, the man behind the iconic character, deliberately blocked the show from being aired in Italy during the 1990s. While the rest of the planet was laughing at the silent bumbling of the British comic, Italians remained completely unaware of his existence.

This unusual decision wasn’t due to legal disputes or censorship, but rather a personal strategy by Atkinson himself. He realized early on that the show’s reliance on physical comedy rather than dialogue would make it an instant hit internationally. Knowing fame would follow him everywhere, he wanted to reserve at least one sanctuary where he could relax anonymously.

In a recent interview, the actor admitted that he saw Italy as the perfect getaway destination. By restricting the distribution rights in that specific region, he ensured he could walk the streets of Rome or Tuscany without being mobbed by fans. For a long time, the plan worked flawlessly, allowing him to enjoy his holidays just like any ordinary tourist.

It wasn’t until 1997, seven years after the show premiered in the UK, that Mr. Bean finally hit Italian television screens. By that time, the character was already a massive success elsewhere, and Atkinson had enjoyed nearly a decade of peaceful Italian vacations. Eventually, the show became just as popular there as it was in the rest of the world.

Looking back, the actor sees the move as a smart way to manage the intense pressure of sudden global stardom. He managed to carve out a private life in one of his favorite countries while his alter ego conquered the rest of the globe. It is a rare example of a celebrity successfully controlling their own fame in the pre-internet era.

Nowadays, with the ubiquity of the internet and streaming services, such a feat would be nearly impossible to pull off. Atkinson acknowledges that the digital age has made it much harder for public figures to maintain that kind of selective anonymity. Still, for a few golden years, he was just an unknown British visitor to the people of Italy.

Do you think celebrities today could ever pull off a similar trick to hide their fame, or is true privacy a thing of the past? let us know your thoughts in the comments.