Brian Blessed | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Blessed in 2012 | |
| Born | (1936-10-09)9 October 1936 (age 88) Mexborough, England |
| Education | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
| Works | Filmography |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 2 |
Brian BlessedOBE (/ˈblɛsɪd/BLES-id; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor. He is known for his distinctive bushy beard, booming voice, and exuberant personality and performances. He portrayed PC "Fancy" Smith inZ-Cars;Augustus in the 1976BBC television production ofI, Claudius;King Richard IV in thefirst series ofBlackadder;Prince Vultan inFlash Gordon;Bustopher Jones andOld Deuteronomy in the 1981 original London production ofCats at theNew London Theatre;Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, inHenry V;Boss Nass inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; and the voice of Clayton and theTarzan yell in Disney'sTarzan.
In 2016, Blessed was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts and charity.
Blessed was born on 9 October 1936 atMontagu Hospital[1] inMexborough,West Riding of Yorkshire,[2][3] the son of William Blessed, asocialist coal miner atHickleton Main Colliery (and himself the son of a coal miner) and cricketer for theYorkshire second team,[4] and Hilda (née Wall). He had a brother Alan, seven years younger, and the pair "went everywhere together" when they were growing up. Alan Blessed died from leukaemia aged 52; their mother died aged 87, and their father died aged 99.[5] Blessed's great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed, was the father of 13 children and worked as a china and glass dealer inBrigg,Lincolnshire; many of Blessed's relatives hail from Brigg.[6]
Blessed went toBolton on Dearne Secondary Modern School, and completed his national service in theRAF,[7] inBicester, before enrolling at theBristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1956.[8][9][10]
One of Blessed's earliest roles was that of PC "Fancy" Smith in theBBC television seriesZ-Cars, between 1962 and 1965.[11] In 1966, he appeared in a production ofIncident at Vichy at thePhoenix Theatre in London. Also in 1966, he was offered the titular role ofthe Doctor in BBC'ssci-fi drama,Doctor Who, to take over fromWilliam Hartnell, but had to turn it down due to conflicting projects.[12] In 1967, he played Porthos in a 10-part BBC adaptation ofThe Three Musketeers.[13] Blessed also had minor roles in cult TV series such asThe Avengers (1967, 1969) and the originalRandall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969). He interpreted the role of KingMark of Cornwall in theHTV television seriesArthur of the Britons (1972–1973). He appeared as William Woodcock in theYorkshire Television seriesBoy Dominic (1974). He playedCaesar Augustus in theBBC Two drama seriesI, Claudius (1976),[14] Vargas in theBlake's 7 episode Cygnus Alpha (1978) and Basileos inThe Aphrodite Inheritance (1979).[15] He hosted a docudrama on the life ofJohann Sebastian Bach calledThe Joy of Bach (1978), in which he also played Bach in a number of scenes.
Blessed also appeared in two episodes of the British science fiction television seriesSpace:1999. He played scientist Dr. Rowland Cabot in the 1975 episodeDeath's Other Dominion and as Mentor in the 1976 episodeThe Metamorph.
Blessed played Long John Silver in the 10-part serialReturn to Treasure Island (1986), King Yrcanos in theDoctor Who serialMindwarp (1986), General Yevlenko in the mini-seriesWar and Remembrance (1988), and Lord Loxley, the father ofRobin Hood, in the Hollywood filmRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).
In 1981, Blessed appeared inAndrew Lloyd Webber's musical,Cats, as bothOld Deuteronomy andBustopher Jones, for the originalWest End theatre production.[16]
Blessed has appeared in a number ofShakespearean roles on both stage and screen, including four of the five Shakespeare films directed byKenneth Branagh: as theDuke of Exeter inHenry V (1989), Antonio inMuch Ado About Nothing (1993), theGhost of Hamlet's Father inHamlet (1996), and bothDuke Frederick andDuke Senior inAs You Like It (2006).
In comedies, Blessed portrayedPrince Vultan in the filmFlash Gordon (1980);[17] the mad, comical figure ofRichard IV in the first series ofThe Black Adder (1983), a role Blessed has claimed to be one of his most cherished[citation needed]; and Spiro Halikiopoulos in the TV mini-seriesMy Family and Other Animals (1987), a BBC adaptation ofGerald Durrell'sbook by the same name.[18] Blessed has joked that he was due to appear inBlackadder II (1986) asElizabeth I, but was unavailable for filming.[19] In 1989, he made an appearance in the comedy/dramaMinder, asDetective Inspector Freddie Dyer of theSerious Crime Squad in the episodeThe Last Video Show.[20]
In 1997, Blessed portrayed Squire Western in theBBC adaptation ofHenry Fielding's 1749 comic novelTom Jones. He later recalled accidentally punchingPeter Capaldi whilst filming and said of the event, "I thought I'd killed the poor bastard."[21]
In 1999, Blessed provided both the voice and live-action reference for theCGI characterBoss Nass inStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and also provided the voice of the villainous hunter Clayton in Disney's animated feature filmTarzan, a role he later reprised in the video game based on the film and in the critically acclaimedKingdom Hearts in 2002; he also did theTarzan yell afterTony Goldwyn was unable to do it himself. He voiced "Sir Morris" in the 1999 cartoon seriesThe Big Knights. He read the story "The White City" for the album seriesLate Night Tales, recording it in four parts released over four albums,[22] and was also the voice ofJean Valjean inFocus on the Family Radio Theatre's audio adaptation ofVictor Hugo'sLes Misérables. Blessed was one of the narrators forStory Teller, a children's magazine partwork series in the 1980s. He has further provided vocal links for theSony-Award-winningChristian O'Connell Breakfast Show onVirgin Radio, and introduced advertisements forOrange mobile phones.
In 2002, under the direction ofRoyal Shakespeare Company directorAdrian Noble, he originated the role ofBaron Bomburst for the stage musical version ofChitty Chitty Bang Bang. From December 2005 to January 2006, Blessed headlined theChristmas pantomime production ofPeter Pan, alongsideCBBC presenterKirsten O'Brien, atIpswich'sRegent Theatre.[citation needed] From 2007 to 2008, he appeared in the same play asCaptain Hook at the Grove Theatre inDunstable; he reprised the role for the Christmas 2008 season at theFairfield Halls,Croydon. For Christmas 2006, he presented a production ofCinderella for Virgin Radio, starringDavid Tennant,Thandiwe Newton and others.
Since October 2008, Blessed has presented the English-language dub of the Japanese TV game showUnbeatable Banzuke onChallenge, under the pseudonym "Banzuke Brian". He was the narrator of theSky 1 seriesCrash Test Dummies, starringSteve Marsh and Dan Wright. In animation, he has provided the voices of Bob inKika & Bob (2008)[23] and Grampy Rabbit inPeppa Pig (2004–present).
In 2009 Blessed starred with his wife, Hildegarde Neil, in the short film Mr Bojagi.[24]
Following aFacebook campaign,satellite navigation manufacturerTomTom recorded Blessed's voice for use in its products; he has been available as a voice command option since October 2010.[25] In September 2010, Blessed recorded the voice of Great Sultan Shahryār forSheherazade, or The Princess, the Pirate and the Baboon!, an album of children's stories set toNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's classical music compositionScheherazade, co-starringRory Bremner and released as an instalment ofGrandma Dingley's Ingeniously Musical Tales in 2011.[26]
In 2018, Blessed voiced German military engineerKonrad Kyeser in the open-world medievalRPG,Kingdom Come: Deliverance.[27] He voiced the megalomaniacal Red Ivan in the 2021 base building gameEvil Genius 2: World Domination.[28]
Blessed has attempted to climbMount Everest three times without supplemental oxygen,[29] reaching heights of 28,200 feet (8,600 m) in 1993 and 25,200 feet (7,700 m) in 1996, but without reaching the summit.[30]
Blessed has reached the summits ofAconcagua in Argentina andKilimanjaro in Tanzania,[31] and has undertaken an expedition into the jungles ofVenezuela, during which he survived a plane crash.[32]
Blessed is the oldest man to have reached theNorth Magnetic Pole on foot,[33] where he says he punched apolar bear on the nose.[34]
In 2009, Blessed featured in the song "Army of the Damned" from the albumBeneath the Veiled Embrace by Britishpower metal bandPythia, reciting the poem "Suicide in the Trenches" bySiegfried Sassoon.[citation needed] Blessed also appeared on their 2014 albumShadows of a Broken Past.
He had previously contributed to the song "The Joust" by Christian bandEden Burning in 1994.[35]
Blessed contributed vocals to the track 'Sonic Attack' on the 2015 Hawkwind album 'Space Ritual Live'.
In 2017, Blessed was featured in "If you remember" music video, singles from British indie band, The Ramona Flowers. As of November 2024, the video had reached over 725,000 views.[36][37] It is also his first appearance in a music video and called it a "great adventure".[38][39] The music video was directed byRoger Sargent and produced by Connor Simmons.
Blessed has completed 800 hours of space training atStar City in Russia.[17]
Blessed served as President of theTelevision and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) from 2007 to 2008 and presented the 2008TRIC Awards atGrosvenor House,London.[40]
In 2004, Blessed appeared on and won an episode ofCelebrity Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating the opera singerLuciano Pavarotti. He appeared as an expert and commentator on the satellite channelUKTV G2 during the2006 World Cup. Blessed also appeared onA Question of Sport in 2006 and 2011, and was a guest host on theBBC's satirical quiz showHave I Got News for You in May 2008 and April 2013 (also making a surprise appearance in the 2008 Christmas special).[citation needed]
Downloadable content for the computer gameWar of the Roses featured narration by Blessed.[41] In 2013, he received the Spirit of Hammer Award at theMetal Hammer magazine'sGolden Gods Awards.[42]
On 14 August 2014, Blessed was the subject of an episode of the BBC documentary seriesWho Do You Think You Are?, tracing the lives of his ancestors.[6]
In October 2016 the BBC broadcast a 3-hour compilation of interviews with Blessed,Brian Blessed's Radio Adventures, featuring interviews with him where he discusses his life and career.[43]
In 1963, Blessed, then in his late 20s, assisted a mother giving birth inRichmond Park, London. He delivered the healthy baby girl, then bit through the umbilical cord.[44] He later recounted, "I was covered in blood, my shirt was covered in blood, I was wrapping her, wiping her, [saying] 'it's all right, darling'.... And I was licking the baby's face."[45]
Blessed's first marriage was to the American actress and Egyptologist[46] Ann Bomann, whom he met in Bristol. They had a daughter together, Catherine, but later divorced.[47] Blessed was then married to actressHildegarde Neil from 1978 until Neil's death in 2023. Their daughter, Rosalind, is an actress.[48]
Blessed lives inWindlesham,Surrey.[49] He owns several dogs and is a patron of the charity Pet Respect.[50] In 2011, he became a patron for Hopefield Animal Sanctuary inBrentwood, Essex.[51]
Blessed is a black belt injudo.[52]
Blessed suffered anervous breakdown at age 18. He eventually recovered with the support of friends, family, and his speech teacher.[53][54]
On 19 January 2015, Blessed collapsed on stage during a performance ofKing Lear with the Guildford Shakespeare Company, in which his daughter Rosalind was also acting. He received medical attention from a doctor in the audience and returned to the stage to complete the play 20 minutes later.[55] On 30 January 2015, it was announced that Blessed had been "compelled to withdraw" from the production on the advice of his heart specialist.[56] He has been fitted with apacemaker.[17]
He hashonorary degrees from theUniversity of Bradford (awarded July 2003) andSheffield Hallam University (awarded 2004) and has also been awarded the honorary title of "Official Shoutsperson" by theUniversity of York'sDouglas Adams Society.[40]
In 2011, the student union at the University of York voted to name a new study area the "Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study".[57] The same year, Blessed was nominated for the post ofchancellor of theUniversity of Cambridge, following a campaign by graduates.[58] He was later awarded Honorary Membership of theCambridge Union in recognition of his nomination.[59]
Blessed was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts and charity.[60]
...Brian Blessed, off next week to enrol[sic] with the Bristol Old Vic Drama Academy in the first phase in making the stage his professional career...
Dickinson: "But as for going back to Everest with Brian: in truth, he's too old now to try again."
