"No, no, I was only funny on stage, really. I, I, think I was funny as a person toward my classmates when I was very young. You know, when I was a child, up to about the age of 12"

Rowan Atkinson is suggesting that he was not always funny in his everyday life, but only when he was on stage. He implies that he was only funny when he was very young, up to the age of 12. This could mean that he was more outgoing and confident when he was younger, and that he was able to make people laugh with his jokes and antics. It could also suggest that he was more comfortable in the spotlight when he was younger, and that he was able to use his humour to make people laugh. As he got older, he may have become more introverted and less confident, and thus less funny in his everyday life. This quote shows that Rowan Atkinson was able to use his humour to make people laugh when he was younger, but that he was not always able to do so as he got older.