Rowan Atkinson

"While British comedic actor Rowan Atkinson has sparked comparisons to fellow countryman Benny Hill (they both do silent comedy, as Atkinson proved in the internationally successful "Mr. Bean" movies), U.K. comedy journalist Bruce Dessau considers Atkinson a far more sophisticated performer.

In "Rowan Atkinson," Dessau provides a thorough account of the multitalented performer's rich career, from his early days at Oxford through the historical English sit-com "Blackadder" and his roles as the tongue-tied vicar in "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Although the intensely private Atkinson did not consent to be interviewed, the author has diligently mined the record, noting his subject's one-time confession that 'being funny is agony.'"