Horrible Histories

Rowan Atkinson (Actor) .. Henry VIII

Born: January 06, 1955 in Consett, County Durham

Best Known For: Mr Bean and Blackadder.

Early-life: Rowan Sebastian Atkinson was born in Consett, County Durham, on January 6, 1955. He is the youngest of four sons of a farmer and company director. Rowan was educated at Durham Choristers School, St Bees School and Newcastle University. He also studied for a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at Oxford, where he began his comedy career. He became friends with writer Richard Curtis and composer Howard Goodall during his time there.

Career: Atkinson's first professional success came in 1978 via the radio show The Atkinson People; it was co-written by Curtis and produced by Griff Rhys Jones. He then became part of the Not the Nine O'Clock News team before creating the character of Edmund in The Black Adder 1983. The sitcom ran for four series and a number of specials. He also created the affable idiot Mr Bean, who appeared in a number of one-off TV specials and two hugely successful films. Other projects include Johnny English and its sequel, The Thin Blue Line, The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Rat Race. Atkinson also appeared at the Olympics opening ceremony and returned to the West End stage to star in Quartermaine's Terms. He was awarded a CBE in 2013.

Quote: 'People think because I can make them laugh on the stage, I'll be able to make them laugh in person. That isn't the case at all. I am essentially a rather quiet, dull person who just happens to be a performer.'

Trivia: He is an avid fan of cars, even writing articles about them for various magazines.

Kathryn Drysdale (Actor) .. Cleopatra

Kevin Eldon (Actor) .. William the Conqueror

Lawry Lewin (Actor) .. Oliver Cromwell

Ben Miller (Actor) .. King John

Born: February 24, 1966 in London

Best Known For: His comedy partnership with Alexander Armstrong.

Early-life: Bennet Evan Miller was born on February 24, 1966, in London and raised in Nantwich, Cheshire, where he attended the local comprehensive. Both his parents were teachers, and he has two younger sisters. Ben attended Cambridge University, where he joined the famous Footlights comedy group and met Alexander Armstrong. He began studying for a PhD in physics - his thesis was on novel quantum effects in quasi-zero dimensional mesoscopic electron systems - but abandoned it halfway through to concentrate on comedy instead, forming a duo with Armstrong.

Career: Miller and Armstrong toured pubs and clubs for four years before making their TV debut on Saturday Live in 1995. The following year they were nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award, and landed their own Channel 4 show; they later moved to the BBC. Miller has acted in films including The Parole Officer, Birthday Girl, Johnny English and The Prince and Me, and has also starred in small-screen offerings Marple, Malice Aforethought, The Book Group, The Worst Week of My Life, Moving Wallpaper and Primeval. In 2011, he had a successful run in West End hit The Ladykillers. Miller recently quit his role in BBC hit Death in Paradise.

Quote: 'I like to do completely different things, go from one thing to another, which is possibly why no one knows who I am.'

Trivia: Miller plays the guitar and drums.

Tom Rosenthal (Actor) .. King Alfred the Great

Born: January 14, 1988 in London

Best Known For: Friday Night Dinner.

Early-life: Thomas Alan Smith Rosenthal was born in London on January 14, 1988, the son of TV producer Christine Smith and sports presenter Jim Rosenthal.

Career: In 2011, Rosenthal began starring in Channel 4 comedy Friday Night Dinner alongside Simon Bird. His other TV credits include Plebs, Breathless and Broadchurch. When he is not acting, he is performing stand-up.

Quote: 'I still get petrified before I go on stage. I actually get worried if I'm not nervous beforehand.'

Trivia: Rosenthal supports Arsenal FC.

Simon Farnaby (Actor)

Jalaal Hartley (Actor)

Jim Howick (Actor)

Tom Stourton (Actor)

Naz Osmanoglu (Actor)

Adam Riches (Actor)

Born: December 10, 1979 in Cambridge

Best Known For: His comedy shows.

Early-life: Born December 10, 1979 in Cambridge and raised in Glasgow and London. Adam attended Sutton Grammar School for Boys. After working at Disneyland Paris for a brief time, he studied media and performance at Salford University.

Career: Riches had small roles in such TV series as A Touch of Frost and Always and Everyone before he did his first comedy show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2003 with Jim Johnson. In 2007, he returned to the Fringe with the show Victor and again in 2008 with Alpha Males. His 2011 show, Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches, won the Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award and was transferred to Soho Theatre in London in 2012. Since then, he has had acting roles on TV, including as Tony in Detectorists and various historical figures in Drunk History: UK and Horrible Histories. His next comedy show, Adam of the Riches, was on at Edinburgh Fringe in 2014. He was also a panelist on an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and he appeared in the film A Street Cat Named Bob (2016).

Quote: 'There's so much power, fun and uniqueness that you can have in a live performance, something that's happening right there.'

Trivia: He broke his leg while performing Alpha Males after slipping on some yoghurt.

Jessica Ransom (Actor)

Ian Curtis (Director)

Simon Gibney (Director)

Tom Miller (Series producer)

Bill Hobbins (Executive producer)

Melissa Hardinge (Executive producer)

Richard Bradley (Executive producer)

12:25 pm - 12:50 pm, Sunday, June 28 on CBBC (201)

About this Broadcast

Season 6, Episode 13

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