Small Roles - Big Actors | Rowan Atkinson

Love Actually

If I took the time required to list all the brilliant moments inside the astoundingly funny film Love, Actually, it would take all day. This highly quotable comedy features a stellar cast and an infinite rewatchability factor.

My favorite of these tiny moments belongs to Rowan Atkinson as a shop clerk who lovingly gift-wraps a Christmas present, much to the chagrin of customer Harry, played by Alan Rickman.

You could be fooled into believing anyone could play the role of the jewelry salesman, but I believe you’d be wrong. Rowan Atkinson, known mostly for his Mr. Bean character and the British comedy Blackadder, is a master of giving less to produce more. Every movement in the scene is precise. He is neither over the top nor forgettably understated. His precision and painstakingness become maddening the longer he goes on.

You could make the case that he is exactly the way you’d expect a store clerk to act. In this case, however, it pushes the scene into the genius category.