"Quite psychopathic": Rowan Atkinson compares his most iconic roles on The Graham Norton Show 

The Graham Norton Show is one of those talk shows where we see celebs laugh, unwind, theorize, and sometimes drop the most honest lines about their careers. That is exactly what happened with Rowan Atkinson, in his chat with Mr. Norton, as he compared and talked about the characters that have made him who he is today.

He even answered the big question right away. "Which role is the strangest, and which one is actually nice?" As Atkinson answered on the show,

“In "Man Versus Bee, he was quiet psychopathic because the bee drove him kind of nuts. But in this one ("Man versus Baby") he's not so psychopathic.”

---

When The Graham Norton Show made Rowan Atkinson rethink his own characters

Anyone who watches The Graham Norton Show knows that Mr. Norton has a talent for asking questions that sound simple but cut through deep. During the interview, Norton casually pointed out that Rowan Atkinson’s characters are rarely warm or gentle.

He asked him, on the show itself:

“I don't think of your characters ever being mean or nasty spirit but you think that Trevor is nicer than the characters that you've played?”

Rowan Atkinson did not dodge the question. Speaking directly on The Graham Norton Show, he explained how Trevor Bingley stands apart from the rest. He said:

“I mean yeah, In "Man Versus Bee, he was quiet psychopathic because the bee drove him kind of nuts. But in this one ("Man versus Baby") he's not so psychopathic. He's actually a genuinely sweet man, Trevor Bingley.”

Atkinson then went even deeper, still talking to Graham Norton on the BBC chat show. He explained that kindness was rare in his past roles. He said Mr. Bean is:

“A selfish, self-centered, sort of anarchic child” and added that the character is “quiet charmless.”

Hearing that from the man who created Mr. Bean feels wild. It made the moment on the talk show feel honest, funny, and oddly reflective at the same time.

---

From Mr. Bean to Trevor Bingley, a rare soft turn

Later in the same The Graham Norton Show conversation, Rowan Atkinson started listing his famous roles like he was checking off things from his list of bad habits. Talking about Blackadder, he said:

“The Blackadder is a sarcastic, sardonic, negative sort of guy.”

He made it clear this was not a warm person, even if the jokes land hard.

Then he brought up Johnny English again, while sitting on The Graham Norton Show couch. Atkinson said the spy is:

“Vain and again, self-centered, doesn't care about anybody else and he's another knob.”

The audience laughed, but the point was clear. These characters are funny, but you would not want to spend Christmas dinner with them.

That is why Trevor Bingley matters. Atkinson summed it up perfectly when he said:

“So, I think Trevor Bingley is a pleasant contrast to this sort of catalogue of... I mean, just people you wouldn't want to have dinner with.”

As Atkinson explained on The Graham Norton Show, Trevor is not driven by ego or anger, but he is just trying to do the right thing.

---

Rowan Atkinson’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show turned into something more than a promo chat. It became a clear look at how he sees his own legacy.

By referring to some roles as selfish and even “psychopathic,” while noting Trevor Bingley as the rare kind soul, Atkinson reframed decades of his career in comedy in one sitting. Simple words, big insight, and a moment fans will remember.

---

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.