In which English county was Rowan Atkinson, the actor behind Mr. Bean, born?

Rowan Atkinson, the actor behind Mr. Bean, was born in County Durham, England.

Atkinson was born in the town of Consett, which lies in the historic and modern county of County Durham in northeast England. His birthplace is part of the region’s industrial north, far from the London television and theatre scene where his career later developed.

He attended Durham Choristers School before studying at Newcastle University and The Queen’s College, Oxford. His academic background was electrical engineering, but university comedy performances helped lead him toward professional entertainment.

County Durham is sometimes mixed up with nearby Northumberland because both are in northeast England. Consett is in County Durham, while Newcastle upon Tyne, where Atkinson studied as an undergraduate, is a separate city. Atkinson’s northern upbringing preceded his work in Blackadder, Mr. Bean and Johnny English.