9 Facts About Rowan Atkinson, a Man Who Made the Whole World Laugh Without Saying a Word

It doesn’t matter that he has more than 80 credits on his acting resume, the world knows Rowan Atkinson by his legendary role as Mr. Bean. This iconic comedian has come a long way from skipping his doctoral dissertation to pursuing a career in comedy.

In order to honor his achievements in the entertainment industry, Bright Side found the lesser-known facts about our very own Rowan Atkinson.

1. He has his own Heavy Goods Vehicle license.

We’ve all grown up seeing Mr. Bean riding his Mini or rolling up at red carpet events with lavish sports cars, but what’s even more surprising is that he has a legitimate HGV license as well! This license lets him drive while carrying up to 3.5 tons. How cool is that!

2. He’s obsessed with cars and wrote for CAR Magazine.

He is a self-confessed petrol head. He loves cars and even wrote for CAR Magazine, sharing his passion for motor vehicles with the world. He has an impressive collection of cars, which includes an Audi A8, a Škoda Superb, and even a rare McLaren F1. But he’s not a big fan of the Porsche, claiming that they are wonderful cars, but he doesn’t see himself living with one.

3. He has a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

Mr Bean / Endemol UK

It can be hard to imagine Atkinson as anyone but Mr. Bean, but the actor studied electrical engineering at Newcastle University and progressed to The Queen’s College in Oxford for a master’s degree. He briefly began his doctoral work before deciding to dedicate himself to comedy full-time.

4. He was Tony Blair’s classmate.

Atkinson attended primary school at a prestigious private school in Durham called The Chorister School, where Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, was his classmate, who was 2 years older than him.

5. He is a frequent guest at Royal events.

Rowan Atkinson is friends with very powerful people. He was even invited to Prince Charles’ and Prince William’s weddings.

He also appeared in a charity show that donated to The Prince’s Trust.

6. Rowan Atkinson used his own Aston Martin in his movie Johnny English.

In his movie, Johnny English, Atkinson used his own powerful and expensive car, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Oscar India.

7. Atkinson has suffered from a mild stammer for many years.

It’s no wonder that his role as Mr. Bean was silent most of the time and that he rarely shows up for any interviews. He has difficulty pronouncing words that have the letters “B” or “P” in them. He usually takes a slight pause before saying these words.

8. He saved his family from an airplane crash.

While he was traveling with his family across Kenya, the pilot of a private plane passed out. Atkinson had to take control of the plane, and luckily, after several slaps by Atkinson, the pilot came to his senses and managed to land the plane safely.

9. Mr. Bean was not the original name of the show.