I don't think people these days get just how much of a legend Rowan Atkinson is! He's a comedy genius, one that has made people laugh all over the world and for multiple generations. My dad loved him, I love him, and now, my son is a huge fan of his as well.
I had the pleasure of meeting Atkinson when I attended the premiere of "Johnny English Strikes Again" in London back in 2018. I was there on a business trip and a colleague of mine, a huge "Mr. Bean" fan, wanted me to accompany him to go see the guy in person. He even acquired a few copies of the film's poster, hoping he'd get them signed by the guy himself. When we got there, it was a busy affair. Photographers were taking shots left and right, fans (including us) we screaming all around, and the stars kept on posing like there was no tomorrow!
Admittedly, I was pretty starstruck when I finally met the guy. I've always loved "Mr. Bean" and the first "Johnny English" movie myself, as well as countless other movies and shows he appeared in. It was weird seeing him in person. I felt a sense of familiarity, probably because I've been watching him since I was a kid, but I was also intimidated by him at the same time. He was every bit the superstar I've always known him to be. Fortunately, though, he was extremely personable, polite, and terribly friendly. Generous with his autographs too! He signed a lot of our posters. Damn, what a guy!
The rest of the cast was impressive also. My friend and I managed to get their autographs too! Personally, I was truck by Olga Kurylenko myself. Now, I'm a married man and I love my wife and I never thought I'd ever cheat on her or anything, but if she ever gave me a pass to sleep with someone else, Olga Kurylenko is my only choice. That woman was smokin' hot! She nailed that Bond Girl sexiness down pat, even though this time, she was starring in what's essentially a parody of James Bond. Nevertheless, she looked stunning. She signed out posters too and I swear, my friend and I just stared at her as she did!
Ben Miller was also nice. I recognized him in some British shows I happen to chance upon when I would surf the channels looking for something to watch. He's fairly popular in the UK, I think, but back in the States, he's not as big as Rowan Atkinson. Well, I don't think there are other comedic actors as big as Atkinson. At least, not for me anyway! Still, he, too, was nice enough to sign our posters.
At the end of the night, as thanks, my colleague gave me a few of the posters we got signed. What I thought would have been a boring business trip turned out to be the day I met Rowan Atkinson in the flesh. You really can never tell what life throws at you!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
