Meet Sunetra Sastry, Rowan Atkinson's Ex-wife

Sunetra Sastry is the ex-wife of Rowan Atkinson, the British comedian and actor. She is a 66-year-old woman born on the 5th of September 1957 and earned a living as a make-up artist.

Sunetra and her ex-husband met in 1986 while filming the sitcom Blackadder 11 and it was love at first sight for the comedian. They commenced dating within a short while and eventually exchanged wedding vows in 1990. The couple went on to enjoy 14 years of marital bliss before their union ended in divorce. They have two children to show for their years together.

Summary of Sunetra Sastry’s Biography

• Full Name: Sunetra Sastry
• Nickname: Sunetra Sastry
• Gender: Female
• Date of Birth: 5th of September 1957
• Sunetra Sastry’s Age: 66
• Ethnicity: Anglo-Indian (Asian) ethnic background.
• Nationality: British
• Zodiac Sign: Virgo
• Sexual Orientation: Straight
• Religion: Hindu and Christianity
• Marital Status: Divorced
• Sunetra Sastry’s Husband (Wife): Rowan Atkinson (ex-husband)
• Sunetra Sastry’s Children: Two
• Sunetra Sastry’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 5 inches
• Sunetra Sastry’s Height in Centimetres: 162 cm
• Sunetra Sastry’s Weight: 55 kg
• Body measurements in Inches: 34-27-36
• Body measurements in Centimetres: 86-68-91
• Sunetra Sastry’s Net Worth: $35 million
• Famous For: Being the ex-wife of Rowan Atkinson

How Old is Sunetra Sastry?

Sunetra Sastry is 66; she was born on the 5th of September 1957 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the United Kingdom. Needless to say, Sunetra is British by nationality but of Anglo-Indian ethnic background.

The Anglo part of Sastry’s heritage came from her mum. Though nothing is known about her identity and professional endeavors, Sunetra’s mother was disowned by her birth family for daring to marry a man of Asian roots. Besides, her family belonged to the High-class English lineage and felt affronted by their daughter’s actions. However, Sastry’s mum survived the ordeal and often assured Sastry that the path she chose in her marital life was worth it; the mother and daughter share a close bond.

On the other hand, Sunetra Sastry got her Brahmin-caste Indian bloodline from her dad. His name and profession are not also known, but alongside his wife, he did a great job of raising their daughter in their culturally diverse household. While Sunetra is inclined towards the Hindu religious belief because of her dad, she also practices Christianity to please her mother.

When she started her academic journey, Sunetra reportedly faced a lot of bullying because of her mixed ethnic heritage. However, it was thanks to her mixed ethnicity that she imbibed an artistic sensibilities and unique perspective.

Is Sunetra Sastry Indian?”

Sunetra does have an Indian bloodline, but she is not 100 percent Indian. As earlier mentioned, her heritage is a mix of British and Brahmin-caste Indian roots from her mum and dad, respectively. However, she bears only Indian names.

According to the talented makeup artist, it was thanks to her heritage that she could embrace many techniques and styles. Her innate sense of creativity and profound appreciation for the arts are second to none because of who she is.

Sunetra’s Education

Growing up in Newcastle upon Tyne where she was born, Sunetra achieved her early academic qualifications in that region. When the time came for her to choose a career path, her parents urged her to study nursing so she could become a nurse, but Sunetra had a different plan for her future.

She told her parents that she preferred attending a beauty college to study makeup. Though they initially opposed her decision, Sunetra convinced them to support her while she attended London’s Beauty College.

How did Sunetra Sastry and Rowan Atkinson Meet

Sunetra Sastry and Row Atkinson met while working on the set of the BBC sitcom Blackadder II in 1986. When Sunetra joined the makeup department of the show, she was drafted to work with legendary actor cum comedian Stephen Fry. When Rowan Atkinson saw her doing Stephen’s makeup for the first time, he fell in love with her, and consequently, he begged his co-star to agree to switch makeup artists with him. Rowan is a celebrated British comedian and actor best known with the stage name Mr. Bean.

When Rowan made the request, Fry didn’t find anything wrong with it as he merely assumed that Rowan wasn’t satisfied with the work his makeup artist was doing for him. Thus, he agreed to the switch.

In no time, it became glaring that Rowan was only interested in asking Sastry out as they soon started hanging out together. From what is obvious, the makeup artist made a good impression on all the men on the set of Blackadder II, including Fry, who claimed to be 90% homosexual; he confirmed it in his memoir, The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography, released in 2010.

In his autobiography, Stephen said meeting Sunetra made him consider giving up being 90% homosexual and trying his luck with the opposite sex. In fact, he was about to ask her for a date when Rowan moved in. Fry even described the makeup artist as funny, brilliant, and captivating. There is a portion of the book where he talks about his makeup on the set of Blackadder; Fry said the artist was “a divinely pretty lady called Sastry.

Even with all his interest in Sunetra Sastry, Fry still gave his co-star Rowan a chance to date her. The couple eventually dated for three years before Rowan popped the big question in 1989 and needless to say, he got an answer in the affirmative.

She Became Rowan Atkinson’s Wife in 1990

Sastry and Atkinson’s wedding ceremony was hosted in New York City in the United States, precisely at the Russian Tea Room in February 1990. Meanwhile, the romantic duo’s official engagement was barely one year old when they decided to take the proverbial walk down the aisle 

The openly gay Stephen Fry functioned as Rowan’s best man, and other celebrities, including family and friends of the couple, graced the event. Fry later captured the event in his 8-millimeter film.

The Couple Went on to Enjoy 14 Years of Marital Bliss

For 14 years, Sunetra Sastry and her spouse, Rowan Atkinson, enjoyed marital bliss. After giving up her make-up artist career, Sunetra was all out supporting her husband. The duo attended important functions and occasions together. One good example is the star-studded wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Even before their wedding in 1989, the duo was spotted at the premiere of the movie The Tall Guy. On the 2nd of October 2011, they were in London, precisely at Empire Leicester Square, to grace the UK premiere of the film Johnny English Reborn.

On the 9th of November 2004, the two were sighted at Odeon Leicester Square in London, attending the UK Gala Premiere of the production Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason.

To fans and the general public, Sunetra Sastry and her spouse, Rowan Atkinson, were really into each other, and there was no cause for alarm. However, trouble started towards the end of 2013. At the beginning of the year, the couple was still enjoying their union; after Rowan put up a stellar performance at the Wyndham Theatre on the set of Quartermaine’s Terms, the two moved to Soho House restaurant, following which they were seen walking to their car arm-in-arm.

Meet Sunetra Sastry’s Children

Sunetra Sastry is a mother of two – a boy and a girl. Her marriage to Atkinson was barely three years old when they welcomed the first fruit of their union, Benjamin Alexander Atkinson, in 1993; Rowan’s friend, Stephen Fry, became His son’s godfather. Ben, who is said to be his father’s doppelganger, didn’t follow the legendary comedian into the entertainment industry. Instead, he joined a 10-week intensive course at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst that saw him enter the British Army.

In 2018, Ben joined Theresa May’s (British Prime Minister) guard of honor and was also part of the guard of honor for Emmanuel Macron (French President).

Ben was barely two when he became a big brother to his parents’ second child, Lily Grace Atkinson. Lily grew up to become a singer, actress, and burlesque dancer. She recorded her debut big performance in London’s famous club, The Pheasantry. She also has a thriving cabaret show at the West End.

Lily commenced her acting career in 2004 with an appearance in the kiddies’ movie Tooth. She was also part of the cast of Jonny English Reborn and Mr. Bean’s Holiday alongside her legendary comedian father.

Following her parents’ divorce, Lilly blamed her dad and tagged him as a “dick move”. Lily answers her mum’s last name rather than her dad’s. However, she never disclosed the reason for changing from Lily Grace Atkinson to Lily Grace Sastry. After many years of being angry with her dad, Lily showed up at the premiere of Johnny English Strikes Again, Rowan’s latest production, in 2018 and this led fans to believe that she had forgiven the comedian.

Their Divorce was Finalized in 2015

After living together as a man and wife for 14 years, Sunetra Sastry and Rowan Atkinson announced their divorce in 2014 following their separation from each other. The procedure was finalized on the 10th of November 2015.

Reportedly, Rowan failed to appear in court on the day scheduled for their divorce hearing which led the presiding judge to conclude the process within 65 minutes and declare them divorced.

Sastry’s divorce settlement was quite huge. Reportedly, she received a $10 million mansion from Rowan, including a huge cash settlement that was never mentioned. All these contribute to her net worth, which is estimated at $35 million.

Talking about the reasons for the couple’s divorce, it was speculated that Rowan cheated on his wife with another woman.

The speculations turned out to be true as Rowan started parading a woman named Louise Ford as his girlfriend immediately after they parted ways. Ford is an actress best known for depicting the character of Kate Middleton in a comedy soap opera entitled The Windsors.

It was reported that they met as far back as 2013 when Rowan and Sastry were still together. Their meeting occurred on the set of Quartermaine’s Terms comic play. Despite the fact that Ford was half his age, Rowan went on to marry Louise in November 2015. From what was obvious, Kate was heavily pregnant at their wedding, as they had the first fruit of their union the next month being December. The arrival of their daughter, Isla May Atkinson, made the legendary comedian go on a full year’s break to cater for the latest addition to his family.

What does Rowan Atkinson’s Ex-wife do for a Living?

Sunetra Sastry’s is a makeup artist. Her career as a makeup artist took off in the middle part of the 1980s when she landed a job with BBC Network to function as the make-up artist for the series Blackadder II, which starred the man who would later become her husband. Written by the iconic duo, Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, the TV show was created in the form of a pseudo-historical sitcom and had its run for a few months. Sunetra only did makeup in six episodes of the entire situational comedy show.

She reportedly did a good job on the show, and needless to say, it opened an inroad into other gigs. The other projects she worked on include the 1991 television film entitled “Smack and Thistle”. She was part of the make-up department of Mr. Bean Goes to a Premiere, Mr. Bean Takes an Exam, and more. The last two were the production credit of her ex-husband, Rowan Atkinson.

Through her remarkable talent as a makeup artist, Sunetra made great contributions to the productions she worked on. She had a knack for being meticulous in the process of bringing characters to life, which formed part of the visual magic. Her artistic touch was also said to boost entertainers’ performances, add depth to their individual characters as well as elevate their onscreen presence.

Sunetra Sastry continued working as a makeup artist until she got married to Rowan Atkinson and became a first-time mother. It was at this point that she decided to give it all up and become a full-time wife, mom, and homemaker.

Did Sunetra Sastry Remarry

To the best of our knowledge, Sunetra Sastry has remained single since her divorce from Atkinson. Meanwhile, following their split, she wasted no time in going back to her former private life. She completely shunned the limelight, making it impossible for fans to get information about the happenings in her love life.

FAQs

Who is Sunetra Sastry?

Sunetra Sastry is a British make-up artist best known as the ex-wife of Rowan Atkinson.  Their union lasted from 1990 to 2015 before they divorced.

Who did Rowan Atkinson marry after Sunetra Sastry?

Following his divorce from Sastry, Rowan married Louise Ford, an actress. They met in 2013 when Rowan and Sastry were still together and wedded two years later.

Where is Sunetra Sastry from?

Sunetra Sastry is British. She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1957 to an English mother and an Indian father. Thus, she is of Anglo-Indian descent.

When Did Rowan Atkinson and Sunetra Sastry Meet and How Long Were They Married?

Sastry and Rowan met in 1986 on the set of the BBC sitcom Blackadder and were married for 14 years before they divorced.

Is Sunetra Sastry married?

Sunetra Sastry is currently single. She never bothered to go into another relationship following her divorce from Atkinson. She focused on raising her children.

Who is Sunetra’s Ex-husband?

The name of her ex-husband is Rowan Atkinson; Rowan is an American actor, comedian, and producer best known for his role in the BBC sitcom Blackadder.