A familiar TV goofball is back in his element in an upcoming slapstick comedy TV series titled Man vs. Bee. The show, which is set to premiere on Netflix on June 24, is created by British comedy legend Rowan Atkinson, who is also going to star in the show. He is co-creating the series with William Davies, who worked with Atkinson in Johnny English, Johnny English Reborn, and Johnny English Strikes Again. Netflix describes the plot of the show as follows: “Bumbling dad Trevor tries to get the best of a cunning bee while house-sitting a posh mansion — but only unleashes more chaos in this comedy series.” Led by Atkinson’s comedy chops, the show is set to feature an interesting list of cast members. If you want to learn more about the actors appearing in this series, read ahead. Here are the cast members of the upcoming Netflix British slapstick comedy TV streaming series Man vs. Bee.
Rowan Atkinson
The legendary Rowan Atkinson is back on the small screen with his starring role in Man vs. Bee. On the show, he plays Trevor, a man working for a housekeeping agency who finds himself battling it out with a bee while taking care of an elegant mansion. Atkinson, of course, is best known for his iconic Mr. Bean character, a role he played from 1990 to 1995. A beloved British figure, Atkinson played Mr. Bean in the series, as well as in two feature films. Atkinson is also popular for his Johnny English character, a spoof of James Bond, which he played in three feature films: Johnny English, Johnny English Reborn, and Johnny English Strikes Again. Over the years, Rowan Atkinson has expressed his desire to retire the Mr. Bean character, citing the “stressful and exhausting” nature of playing him. He said in an interview with Variety: “I don’t much enjoy playing him. The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it.” However, he says he’s very much willing to continue the Mr. Bean legacy in an animated capacity, saying that it’s much easier to perform the Mr. Bean character vocally than visually. “Having made an animated TV series, we’re now in the foothills of developing an animated movie for ‘Mr. Bean’ — it’s easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually.”
Jing Lusi
British actress Jing Lusi is also starring in Atkinson’s Man vs. Bee, playing the role of Nina, the owner of the mansion that Trevor is housesitting. Lusi’s breakout role was as Amanda Ling in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, but before that, she had appeared in films like Breathe, The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines, Jack Falls, Tezz, and Survivor. Currently, she is filming Heart of Stone, a spy movie directed by Tom Harper. On TV, Lusi has worked on shows like Zapped, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Holby City, and more recently, Gangs of London, where she plays a lead character named Victoria Chung. A fun fact about Lusi is that she had actually studied law, but instead pursued acting. In an interview with Wow Mag, she explained how her parents dealt with her career shift: “My parents were quite stunned when I graduated from law school and, without any notice, enrolled in acting classes. They had, of course, hoped I would be a top-class City lawyer. But it was not for me, and my dad remained in denial for a few years, hoping it was just a phase. He even offered to pay for a Masters at Harvard if I wanted to go. But through my determination over the years, they could see that I was pursuing my passion, and when the “real jobs” began to roll in and I began to support myself financially – but most of all was happy – they got it. And now they are the most supportive parents in the world. They are my rock.”
Claudie Blakley
Claudie Blakley plays Trevor’s ex-wife in Man vs. Bee. An award-winning actress, she snagged the prestigious Ian Charleson Award in 1998 for her performance in the stage production of The Seagull at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. Blakley’s more recent film work includes The Kid Who Would Be King, Do No Harm, Boris Says, The House, and A Moral Man. She has a longer TV resume, having appeared in popular shows like Grantchester, Manhunt, and Flesh and Blood. In an interview with Culture Calling, she was asked which performance medium is her favorite, with fans knowing that she’s appeared in TV, film, and stage. She responded: “I like to do all of it, is the honest answer! You go along one road for a while, and it’s lovely to do some filming and TV for a bit, but then you can be absolutely itching to get back on the stage and get that live feeling, which is different every night, and that freedom you get in rehearsals where you can explore your character for however many weeks. It’s so instant when you’re filming and so I miss the live feeling there. It’s good to keep it spicy and learn from each medium. So I’d say all of it, variety is the spice of life!”
Tom Basden
Tom Basden also stars in Atkinson’s upcoming Netflix comedy series Man vs. Bee. Basden is a popular comedy writer, having written There Is a War and Joseph K. Basden has received multiple accolades over the years, including the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Chortle Awards, and the Evening Standard Award.
Julian Rhind-Tutt
Julian Rhind-Tutt will be playing Nina’s husband, Christian, in the upcoming comedy series Man vs. Bee. His TV credits include The Bastard Executioner, SS-GB, Silent Witness: Moment of Surrender, Britannia, Harlots, and The Witcher.
Greg McHugh
Greg McHugh will be portraying the gardener in the upcoming Netflix series Man vs Bee. As a performer, he’s acted in movies and TV shows like Two Doors Down, The Feeling Nuts Comedy Night, The A Word, and A Discovery of Witches.
India Fowler
Last on the list is child actress India Fowler. The young performer has appeared in projects like White Lines, Safe, and Retaliation.Johnny English
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