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Happy birthday to Richard Curtis. The prolific screenwriter and director turns 66 this week, so we're celebrating by looking back at some of his best-loved work. Here are 10 of the projects that have made him just as well known as the great actors he works with.
1. Blackadder (1983-1989)
Curtis co-created this iconic sitcom with Rowan Atkinson, and also co-wrote every episode (mostly with Ben Elton). Each of the four seasons is set in a different historical time period, but Blackadder always revolves around Atkinson's title character, a scheming social climber saddled with his dimwitted servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson). The final season set during World War I isn't just very funny, but also supremely moving.

2. Comic Relief (1985–)
Curtis has enjoyed some incredible success with films and TV shows, but Comic Relief is surely his greatest accomplishment. He and Sir Lenny Henry launched the charity in 1985 with a simple idea: by making people laugh, they could also encourage them to donate money to the famine in Ethiopia. It worked so well that Comic Relief has now raised more than £1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) for charitable organizations worldwide.

3. Mr. Bean (1990-1995)
Curtis and Atkinson also co-created this globally popular sitcom, which is a perfect vehicle for Atkinson's slapstick comedy chops. Atkinson's title character is essentially a child trapped in a grown man's body, which means he can't help getting into all sorts of scrapes and japes. As well as co-writing many of the original episodes, Curtis also wrote the first spin-off movie, which became a big hit in 1997.

4. The Vicar of Dibley (1994-2007)
Curtis wrote this long-running British sitcom with Paul Mayhew-Archer. In what arguably became her signature role, Dawn French stars as Geraldine Granger, a Church of England vicar trying to preside over a country parish that's home to some very quirky characters. It's a show that manages to be cozy without sacrificing its sharp punchlines.

5. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Curtis earned an Oscar nomination for his warm and witty screenplay to this hit rom-com. As the title suggests, the movie features four weddings and a funeral – not to mention a sprawling cast of characters – but it ultimately revolves around an on-off romance between bumbling British charmer Charles (Hugh Grant) and poised American Carrie (Andie MacDowell). You'll definitely be rooting for them.

6. Notting Hill (1999)
Curtis's next rom-com also became a 1990s classic. This time, Grant plays Will Thacker, an unassuming bookseller who happens to fall for Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), the most famous movie star in the world. It's a sweet, against-the-odds love story that helped to make the neighborhood it's set in, West London's Notting Hill, very trendy indeed. 

7. Love Actually (2003)
Curtis made his directorial debut with this holiday rom-com that's become something of an annual institution. He very cleverly manages to balance 10 interlinking stories rooted in love and romance, featuring memorable characters including Hugh Grant's dancing P.M. and Bill Nighy's sozzled rock star. Oh, and Emma Thompson's big emotional scene is a real tear-jerker every time.

8. The Girl in the Café (2005)
Curtis shows his political side with this powerful BBC/HBO TV movie. Bill Nighy stars as a high-ranking civil servant who falls for a young woman he meets in a café (Kelly Macdonald), then asks her to join him at a G8 summit in Iceland. Once there, she confronts the British PM (Corin Redgrave) about the issue of global poverty and foreign aid. It's searing stuff.

9. Roald Dahl's Esio Trot (2015)
Curtis and Mayhew-Archer adapted one of Roald Dahl's most beloved books into this heartwarming TV movie. Dustin Hoffman plays Mr. Henry Hoppy, a retired bachelor who begins a slow-burning romance with his widowed neighbor, Mrs. Lavinia Silver (Judi Dench), the keeper of a scene-stealing tortoise. No, you have something in your eye.

10. Yesterday (2019)
Written by Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle, this rom-com has a really ingenious premise. Himesh Patel plays Jack Malik, a struggling musician who suddenly realizes he's the only person in the world who's heard of The Beatles. So, he duly becomes famous and successful by recreating their songs. Lily James co-stars as Ellie, his childhood friend, manager, and maybe a little more.

Do you have a favorite Richard Curtis movie or TV show?