There must be a connection between the skill set of actors and that of race car drivers. Perhaps it’s the adrenaline rush and desire to adapt to anything thrown at them. That happens regularly in front of the camera, as well as on the race track. Some actors are dissatisfied with the pursuit of playing a driver and prefer real-life adventure. These actors go on to use their fame to score a few sponsors and get behind the wheel of a genuine race car to compete against career pros. Here are 12 of them.
12. Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr. Bean
Although he is best known as the comic genius behind the slapstick character Mr. Bean, comedian Rowan Atkinson is a serious race car driver and racing enthusiast. When not filming movies such as Johnny English and television shows such as Blackadder, Rowan Atkinson spends his time racing around tracks across the world and writing for race car magazines. He previously owned a McLaren F1 race car, which he crashed, and, in the 1980s, he drove a mid-engined Renault 5 in the Manufacturer’s Turbo Cup racing series. He also drove his own Aston Martin race car at the famous Silverstone event in 2010. In 2014, Rowan Atkinson was involved in a serious head-on collision while racing a vintage Ford Falcon sprint car. Luckily, the comic walked away with only minor injuries. The car itself was totaled.
Source: AP Photo/Joel Ryan
