Rowan Atkinson is known primarily for his role as Mr. Bean, one that he's reprised numerous times. And while Atkinson has taken on other roles, he's just notorious for portraying the not-so-smart yet delightfully charming Mr. Bean.
The thing is, Atkinson is way smarter than he lets on.
How Smart Is Mr. Bean?
The character Mr. Bean is, arguably, not that smart. But Rowan Atkinson, the actor who devised the now-famous character, is pretty brilliant. For one thing, the fact that he was able to fully develop Mr. Bean and successfully revive him so many times is a testament to Atkinson's prowess as an actor.
Though not all actors are book smart, there's a certain amount of intelligence (emotional and otherwise) involved in acting. And of course, Atkinson has explained that playing Mr. Bean is both physically and mentally draining.
But there's more to Rowan's intelligence than his on-set abilities.
How Smart Is Rowan Atkinson?
The answer to how smart Mr. Bean is might be 'not very.' But Rowan Atkinson is more intelligent than fans may have realized. Long before he became famous for his hapless character, Atkinson attended -- and graduated from -- Newcastle University.
Atkinson's degree was in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, a far departure from the typical humanities studies of many other actors. Rather than take courses in acting or theatre, Atkinson developed his book smarts and pursued even higher education.
Mr. Bean Has A Master's Degree
Rowan Atkinson didn't end his education with a Bachelor's degree. Instead, he continued his studies at The Queen's College, Oxford, and earned a Master's degree. That degree was also in electrical engineering, and the actor's thesis (published in 1978) explored "application of self-tuning control."
In fact, fans can even find the published thesis with an online search, which is pretty neat. What's even better is that decades later, Oxford awarded Rowan the title of Honorary Fellow, formally recognizing his contributions both to science and entertainment.
Did Rowan Atkinson Ever Work A Regular Job?
Well, if a "regular job" includes pursuing doctoral work, then yes, Atkinson did work for a while. But he eventually stopped his studies to pursue acting, though he stuck close to Oxford for his initial foray into theatre and film.
But it does seem that Rowan abandoned the books in favor of Mr. Bean, which was probably quite refreshing for him at first. Imagine going from high-level exams and engineering research to playing the character of Mr. Bean.
Of course, no one blames Rowan Atkinson for deciding to (at least somewhat) retire the character after all these years. And he has Mr. Bean to thank for much of his impressive net worth these days -- a good deal all around!