In the pantheon of British comedy legends alongside the likes of Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Peter Sellers, and the Monty Python troop is Rowan Atkinson.  For years, Atkinson has perfected various forms of comedy, from the slapstick of Mr. Bean to the sardonic wit of Blackadder.  He’s also had quite a prolific turn at standup with several TV specials from the Secret Policeman’s Ball to Rowan Atkinson Live!  Having entered showbusiness in 1978, 2023 marks the 45^th year Atkinson’s illustrious career with no sign of slowing down.  If you have a favorite Atkinson show, film, or special, you can share that with us in the comments after you read these ten interesting facts.

Petrol Head

For a man who’s known for being rather goofy, you could forgive yourself for not knowing that Rowan Atkinson is a huge car fanatic.  Not only has he had a fabulously impressive car collection, but he has also written for CAR Magazine and posted the second-highest lap time for the “Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car” segment when he appeared on Top Gear.  What’s more, he has a commercial driver’s license, which he gained while a young actor to ensure some form of employment.

No Comment

Rowan Atkinson doesn’t give many interviews, in part due to a slight stammering problem that he lived with for years.  Performing comes much more naturally to him than extemporaneous speaking.

Take It for a Drive

Such is Atkinson’s fandom for cars that during the filming of Johnny English Reborn, he pulled some strings and got to borrow the Rolls Royce Phantom used as his character’s car in the movie.  Atkinson used his own Aston Martin for the first Johnny English film. 

Starring

Rather fittingly as the title character, Rowan Atkinson is the only actor to appear in every episode of Blackadder.  Tony Robinson, who plays Baldrick, does not appear in the pilot.  Atkinson, Robinson, and Tim McInnerny are the only three actors to appear in every series. 

Friends in High Places

Rowan Atkinson is a frequent guest at Royal Family events, from weddings to parties.  It certainly helps that he has a very influential friend in King Charles III.  His humor has been littered with soft jabs at the monarchy for decades, but he has explained that he does it out of love and wouldn’t want his work to be seen as discrediting the Royals. 

Classmates

Rowan Atkinson attended Cathedral Chorister School in Durham at the same time as former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was two years above Rowan. 

Actually, I am Him

While some actors might shy away from their best-known roles to cite their long body of work, Atkinson has been on record saying that Mr. Bean is his favorite character.  In a 2022 interview, Atkinson said of Bean that “he’s the furthest away from my own character.”  In addition to his own show, cartoon show, and web series, Atkinson has made numerous appearances on shows around the world in character.  He’s also done a safety video for British Airways and appeared as Mr. Bean in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. 

No Pressure

Mr. Bean was conceived when Atkinson had to come up with five-minute act on stage during his first term at Oxford.  He had only 48 hours to develop the material, so he stood in front of a mirror making faces at himself until inspiration struck. 

A Wise Guy, Eh?

Rowan Atkinson studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Newcastle University, then went onto earn his masters at Oxford University.  His masters thesis involved self-tuning control systems.  Atkinson would have continued his studies by pursuing a doctorate, but opted to go into acting after a command performance as part of the Oxford Revue at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

Never Stop Never Stopping

Rowan Atkinson nearly gave up on Blackadder after the first series.  He wasn’t terribly thrilled at how it worked out and Michael Grade, then Controller of the BBC, wasn’t a fan either.  However, writer Richard Curtis convinced Atkinson and Grade to stick with it and the show became a huge success starting in its second series.