Rowan Atkinson birthday
Rowan Atkinson, famous as Mr Bean, turns 60.Reuters

British actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, who is known for his role as Mr. Bean, has become a victim of death hoax again with reports doing the rounds that he has died. It was the third time that the actor has been in news for wrong reasons.

The 61-year-old actor was in news last year after a Facebook page titled "R.I.P. Rowan Atkinson" that went viral in 2013 resurfaced. It caught the attention of the fans though there was no proof whatsoever.

Pranksters were responsible for the latest circulation of Rowan Atkinson's death hoax. A memorial photo of the actor with the BBC logo and baffling age has been shared on social media by fans. According to the Sun, pranksters tried to make it sound real by claiming that the actor was found unconscious and not breathing at his home near Tiburon, north of San Francisco. It went on to say that the Sheriff's Office Coroner Division suspects the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia. 

Interestingly, the actor was just 21, according to the date of birth mentioned in the memorial photo, when he is 61. As if that's not enough, the description of the photo says that he was 58. It was obvious from the erratic details that it's a hoax but fans still went on to share it on social media.

It is not new for celebrities to be hit by death hoax. Many of them, including John Cena, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, James Earl Jones, Willie Nelson and Will Smith have become victims of death hoax over the years.