Rowan Atkinson’s lookalike son Ben, 26, joins the Gurkhas after spending three months in Nepal 

Rowan Atkinson’s lookalike son Ben, 26, joins the Gurkhas after spending three months in Nepal

  • Lt Ben Atkinson has joined the Gurkhas soldiers after spending months in Nepal
  • He is the son of Rowan Atkinson, 64, and make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 62
  • Gurjha Brigade Assoc. newsletter hints he is intent on charming local women

Rowan Atkinson’s lookalike son has joined the Gurkhas after spending three months in Nepal.

Lt Ben Atkinson was put through a 10 week course and taught about the local culture to join the unique unit of the British Army.

The 26-year-old son of Atkinson, 64, and make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 62, will have to learn Nepalese in his new role as a Gurkha officer.

Rowan Atkinson’s lookalike son Lt Ben Atkinson (right) has joined the Gurkhas after spending three months in Nepal

Lt Ben Atkinson was put through a 10 week course and taught about the local culture to join the unique unit of the British Army

Lt Ben Atkinson was put through a 10 week course and taught about the local culture to join the unique unit of the British Army

The Gurjha Brigade Association newsletter hinted he is intent on charming local women, saying: ‘Lt Atkinson grasped the language remarkably quickly.

‘This may be attributed either to his language experience, having studied both Arabic and Spanish previously, or to his urgent requirement to learn the local Nepalese ‘chat-up’ lines.’

The letter, quoted in The Sun, added: ‘Learning Nepalese dance moves was a personal priority and Lt Atkinson was quick to establish an impressive ‘uthyo basyo’ (an up-down rapid squatting dance-move).’

Comedian Rowan Atkinson pictured with former wife,  Sunetra Sastry in 2005

Comedian Rowan Atkinson pictured with former wife,  Sunetra Sastry in 2005 

Lt Ben Atkinson is the son of Rowan Atkinson (pictured) and his first wife, make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 62

Lt Ben Atkinson is the son of Rowan Atkinson (pictured) and his first wife, make-up artist Sunetra Sastry, 62

Exeter University graduate Lt Atkinson, whose actor father is worth around £90million, provided a guard of honour last year for Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May at Sandhurst.  

His father played Edmund Blackadder in all four series of the comedy – which was ranked second in a BBC poll of Britain’s greatest sitcoms. 

The Gurkhas are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent and are recruited for the British and Indian army, and UN peacekeeping force and war zones around the world. 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk