Rowan Atkinson's brother takes credit for 'Mr Bean'

Rowan Atkinson's older brother has tried to take some of the credit for Mr Bean.

Rodney Atkinson, whose famous sibling Rowan created the comedy character along with writer Richard Curtis, said that he used to encourage his brother to create a "nerd[y]" character, but Rowan wasn't interested.

Rodney told The Daily Telegraph: "I tried for years to get Rowan to take the 'nerd on a park bench eating his lunch' character, which he used in his one-man show, and expand it into a series which would 'go international'.

"This was the early seventies and I was at the time experimenting with British comedy as a teaching aid for German students at the University of Mainz in Germany. I noted that comic action - without the sound - was a good vehicle to get German students to give a [recorded] English running commentary on the action. It proved an excellent analytical teaching aid.

"The universal nature of silent comedy and its international appeal was obvious and Rowan had created the basic character already."

Rodney said that when he made the suggestion, his sibling responded with a "grunt". He said: "Whether he took my persistent advice or made his own mind up I can't say. I received no royalty."

Rowan was recently hospitalised after being involved in a car accident but was later discharged without serious injury.

Watch a clip of Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean below: