Brian Blessed
Biography
Brian Blessed OBE (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 in Z-Cars; Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of I, Claudius; King Richard IV in the first series of Blackadder; Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon; Bustopher Jones and Old Deuteronomy in the 1981 original London production of Cats at the New London Theatre; Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, in Henry V; Boss Nass in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; and the voice of Clayton and the Tarzan yell in Disney's Tarzan. In 2016, Blessed was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts and charity. Blessed was born on 9 October 1936 at Montagu Hospital in Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of William Blessed, a socialist coal miner at Hickleton Main Colliery (and himself the son of a coal miner) and cricketer for the Yorkshire second team, 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. Blessed's great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed, was the father of 13 children and worked as a china and glass dealer in Brigg, Lincolnshire; many of Blessed's relatives hail from Brigg. Blessed went to Bolton on Dearne Secondary Modern School, and completed his national service in the RAF, in Bicester, before enrolling at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1956.
Known For
All Movies (95)
- Time Travel Is Dangerous!2025 · as Gavin the Octopus (voice)
- Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!2024 · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
- Peppa's Cinema Party2024 · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
- Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba2022 · as Self
- Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!2022 · as Narrator
- The Queen: 70 Glorious Years2022 · as Self
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans2021 · as Charlemagne (voice)
- Dear Mr. Burton2020 · as Narrator
- Eugenius!2020 · as Space Lord
- Shed of the Dead2019 · as Narrator (voice)
- Robin Hood: The Rebellion2018 · as Friar Tuck
- Life After Flash2017 · as Self
- Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots2015 · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
- Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape2014 · as Self
- The Seventeenth Kind2014 · as The Voice (voice)
- Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return2014 · as Judge Jawbreaker (voice)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out2012 · as Boss Nass (voice)
- So You Want To Be A Pirate!2012 · as The Pirate King
- Tales of Television Centre2012 · as Self
- The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!2012 · as The Pirate King (voice)
- Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War2011 · as Narrator
- Mr. Bojagi2010 · as Mr. Bojagi
- Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments2008 · as Self
- The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord2008
- Agent Crush2008 · as Boris Goudphater (voice)
- Back in Business2007 · as Trevor Pilkington
- The 50 Greatest Television Dramas2007 · as Self
- The Conclave2006 · as Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin
- As You Like It2006 · as Duke Senior/Duke Frederick
- Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy2006 · as Sir Gregory (voice)
- Day of Wrath2006 · as Lord Francisco del Ruiz
- Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy2005 · as Sir Gregory(voice)
- The Funny Blokes of British Comedy2005 · as King Richard IV (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas2004 · as Narrator
- Alexander2004 · as Wrestling Trainer
- The Legend of the Tamworth Two2004 · as Wild Boar (voice)
- Devil's Harvest2003 · as Father Gabriel Norton
- The Dark Side of Everest2003 · as Self
- The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang2002 · as Self - Actor
- I, Claudius: A Television Epic2002 · as Self
- The Mumbo Jumbo2000 · as Lucifer Bounder
- The Greatest Store in the World1999 · as Mr. Scottley
- Tarzan1999 · as Clayton (voice)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace1999 · as Boss Nass (voice)
- King Lear1999 · as King Lear
- Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh1998 · as Old Deuteronomy
- Macbeth1997 · as Edward the Confessor
- Hamlet1996 · as Ghost of Hamlet's Father
- Catherine the Great1996 · as Bestuzhev
- The Bruce1996 · as Edward I
- Genius: Pythagoras1996 · as Self
- Kidnapped1995 · as Cluny MacPherson
- The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond1995
- Chasing the Deer1994 · as Maj. Elliot
- MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis1994 · as Atticus
- David Macaulay: Roman City1994 · as Gaius Valerius (voice)
- Much Ado About Nothing1993 · as Antonio
- Blood and Dust1992 · as Chatillon
- Freddie As F.R.O.7.1992 · as El Supremo (voice)
- Exam Conditions1992 · as Mr. Carksdale
- Back in the USSR1992 · as Chazov
- Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini1992 · as Voice of Rossini
- Galahad of Everest1991 · as George Mallory/Self
- Prisoner of Honor1991 · as Gen. Gonse
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves1991 · as Lord Locksley
- The Castle of Adventure1990 · as Sam
- Henry V1989 · as Exeter
- David Macaulay: Pyramid1989 · as Ankhaf (voice)
- The Old Man Of The Mountain1989 · as Narrator
- Doctor Who: Mindwarp1986 · as King Yrcanos
- David Macaulay: Cathedral1986 · as Master Guillaume (voice)
- Blake's 7: The Beginning1985 · as Vargas
- The Master of Ballantrae1984 · as Captain Teach
- The Hound of the Baskervilles1983 · as Geoffrey Lyons
- High Road to China1983 · as Suleman Khan
- David Macaulay: Castle1983 · as Voice
- Cosmic Princess1982 · as Mentor
- Flash Gordon1980 · as Prince Vultan
- Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter1979 · as Detective Jack Noonan
- A Christmas Carol1977 · as Narrator (voice)
- The Eagle Has Landed1976 · as Arthur Seymour (voice) (uncredited)
- Into Infinity1975 · as Dr. Tom Bowen
- A Midsummer Nightmare1975 · as Det Sgt George Briggs
- King Arthur, the Young Warlord1975 · as Mark of Cornwall
- Man of La Mancha1972 · as Pedro
- Henry VIII and His Six Wives1972 · as Suffolk
- The Bristol Entertainment1971 · as Cabot / Wolstan / Pocock / Colston / Pope Gregory / Dr. Beddoes
- The Trojan Women1971 · as Talthybius
- The Last Valley1971 · as Korski
- Wine of India1970 · as Will
- Brotherly Love1970 · as Jack Baird
- The Double Agent1969 · as Reg Sugden
- Son of Man1969 · as Peter
- Till Death Us Do Part1969 · as Sergeant
- The Christmas Tree1966
All TV Shows (94)
- Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg2022 · as Self – Actor
- Best & Bester2022 · as Shouty Shirt (Voice)
- Blankety Blank2021 · as Self - Panellist
- Close Enough2020 · as Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice)
- The Russell Howard Hour2017 · as Self
- Danger Mouse2015 · as Santa Claus (voice)
- The Kumars2014 · as Self
- Was It Something I Said?2013 · as Self - Narrator
- Wizards vs Aliens2012 · as The Nekross King (voice)
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip2011 · as Self - Participant
- Sooty2011 · as Father Christmas
- The Amazing World of Gumball2011 · as Santa Claus (voice)
- Fee Fi Fo Yum2010 · as GTV Announcer
- In Confidence2010
- Take Me Out2010 · as Announcer (voice)
- The Underdog Show2008
- All Star Mr & Mrs2008
- Saving Planet Earth UK2007 · as Himself - Presenter
- Would I Lie to You?2007 · as Self
- Britain's Got More Talent2007 · as Self - Narrator
- Who Do You Think You Are?2004 · as Self
- The Paul O'Grady Show2004
- Peppa Pig2004 · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
- QI2003 · as Self
- The Royal2003 · as Sir Edward Fawcett
- Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway2002 · as Self
- Fun at the Funeral Parlour2001
- The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything2000
- The Big Knights1999 · as Sir Morris
- Family Guy1999 · as Prince Vultan (voice)
- The Heaven and Earth Show1998
- Fantasy World Cup1998 · as Self
- The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling1997 · as Squire Western
- Dennis the Menace and Gnasher1996 · as Captain (voice)
- Soccer AM1995 · as Self
- Johnny and the Dead1995 · as William Stickers
- Sooty & Co.1993 · as Santa Claus
- Lady Chatterley1993 · as Petty Officer
- GMTV1993 · as Self
- Pebble Mill1991 · as Self
- Have I Got News for You1990 · as Self - Host
- The Castle of Adventure1990 · as Sam
- War and Remembrance1988 · as Yevlenko
- A Question of Entertainment1988
- My Family and Other Animals1987 · as Spiro
- Crossbow1987
- The Gnostics1987 · as Guilhabert De Castres
- John Silver's Return to Treasure Island1986 · as Long John Silver
- Lovejoy1986 · as Harry Catapodis
- The Last Days of Pompeii1984 · as Olinthus
- Natural World1983
- Blackadder1983 · as King Richard IV
- The Kenny Everett Television Show1982 · as Self
- The Little World of Don Camillo1981 · as Peppone
- Minder1979 · as Freddie Dyer
- Tales of the Unexpected1979 · as Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan
- The Aphrodite Inheritance1979 · as Basileos
- Blake's 71978 · as Vargas
- I, Claudius1976 · as Augustus
- Nobody's House1976 · as Jack Treadful
- The Day After Tomorrow1975 · as Dr. Tom Bowen
- Space: 19991975 · as Mentor
- Space: 19991975 · as Cabot Rowland
- Survivors1975 · as Brod
- The Sweeney1975 · as Frank Kemble
- Churchill's People1974 · as Guthrum
- Notorious Woman1974 · as Albert Grzymala
- Boy Dominic1974 · as William Woodcock
- European Heritage1973 · as Narrator (voice)
- Thriller1973 · as Det Sgt George Briggs
- Arthur of the Britons1972 · as Mark of Cornwall
- Shirley's World1972
- Justice1971 · as Tiger Lawson
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)1969 · as Jim Lawsey
- ITV Saturday Night Theatre1969 · as Ted Gissing
- The Expert1968 · as Hubert Innes
- Cold Comfort Farm1968 · as Reuben Starkadder
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Reg Sugden
- ITV Playhouse1967 · as Jim Carter
- The Further Adventures of the Musketeers1967 · as Porthos
- The Three Musketeers1966 · as Porthos
- BBC Play of the Month1965 · as Sgt. Kite
- The Troubleshooters1965 · as Eddie Barnaby
- Public Eye1965 · as Rev. William Pratt
- The Wednesday Play1964 · as Peter
- The Wednesday Play1964 · as Will
- Doctor Who1963 · as King Yrcanos
- Z-Cars1962 · as PC Smith
- Z-Cars1962 · as PC Fancy Smith
- Z-Cars1962 · as PC William "Fancy" Smith
- The Avengers1961 · as Sergeant Hearn
- The Avengers1961 · as Mark Dayton
- Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Captain Teach
- Have I Got a Bit More News for You— · as Self - Presenter