Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed was born 9 October 1937 in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England. Blessed has been acting for nearly 40 years. In the 60's he made his mark on TV with the cop show Z Cars where he played a tough but not too bright cop named Fancy Smith. 

 Blessed got his start at fourteen after leaving school and joining local amateur dramatic companies and eventually joining the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. 

Blessed is well known for his booming voice and was called, in one Sci-Fi magazine, 'the loudest man alive'. (Lucas must have an affinity for these type of voices: James Earl Jones and John Rhys-Davies).  Blessed is more than his acting.  The British actor has attempted Mt Everest three times and was a consultant on the book, 'Into Thin Air', by John Krakauer, about the deaths of a dozen climbers on Everest on one day in 1996.  He has also written: The Turquoise Mountain: Brian Blessed on Everest; Nothing's Impossible; To The Top of the World: Discover the History Behind Some of the Greatest Climbs on Mount Everest; Quest and for the Lost World.  

Blessed has also cheated death when his plane crash-landed in a rainforest in South America.  Where he and seven other passengers escaped with their lives.  The twin-engine 410 Lett plane came down in a Venezuelan swamp, everyone was forced to swim for their lives or risk being blown-up.

 

 

Film

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End~2007 - villain!

The Conclave~2007 - Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin

As You Like It~2006 - Duke Frederick

Back in Business~2006 - Trevor Pilkington (see Actor Connections - Film)

Day of Wrath~2006 - Lord Francisco del Ruiz

Alexander~2004 - Wrestling Trainer

Devil's Harvest~2003 - Father Gabriel Norton

Mumbo Jumbo~2000 - Bounder
Tarzan~1999 (voice) - Clayton
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 - voice of Boss Nass
Hey Mr. Producer~1998 (V) - Old Deuteronomy
Macbeth~1997 - Edward the Confessor
Bruce, The~1996 - Edward I
Chasing the Deer~1994 - Major Elliot
Much Ado About Nothing~1993 - Seigneur Antonio
Back in the USSR~1992 - Chazov
FRO7~1992 - El Supremo
Waiting for Godot~1991 - Pozzo
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves~1991 - Lord Locksley
Henry V~1989 - Exeter
High Road to China~1983 - Suleman Khan (see Actor Connections - Film)
Flash Gordon~1980 - Prince Vultan (see Actor Connections - Film)

Beginning, The~1978 (V) - Vargas
King Arthur, the Young Warlord~1975
Henry VIII and His Six Wives~1973 - Suffolk (see Actor Connections - Film)

Man of La Mancha~1972 - Pedro, The Head Muleteer
Trojan Women, The~1971 - Tathybius
Country Dance~1970 - Jack Baird
Last Valley, The~1970 - Korski
Till Death Us Do Part~1969 - 
Christmas Tree, The~1966 - Policeman

 

Film Director
Macbeth~1997 (special director: witches scenes)

Film Art Department 
Macbeth~1997 (artistic advisor)

 

TV

As You Like It~2007 (2006 in UK) - Duke Senior/Duke Frederick

Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes~2007 - as Pavarotti

Mist: The Tale Of A Sheepdog Puppy~2006 - voice of ?

The Conclave~2006 - Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin

Live on the Night (documentary)~2004 - Himself/contributor 

Sport Relief~2004 - Himself

Paul O'Grady Show, The~2004 - Himself (#1.38) 12/1/04

Room 101~1994 - Himself (#9.1) 9/13/04

Saturday Brunch~2004 - Himself (#1.3) 7/3/04

Call My Bluff~1997 - Himself /3/04

Stars in Their Eyes~1990 - Himself/Pavarotti in Celebrity Special 4/24/04

This Morning~1988 - Himself 4/23/04

Stars Reunited~2003 - Himself in Z Cars (#2.3) 1/7/04

Legend of the Tamworth Two, The~2004 - Wild Boar (voice)

Death on Everest~2003 - Himself

Total Cops~2003 - PC 'Fancy' Smith

Terry and Gaby Show, the~ - Himself 12/15/03

Today with Des and Mel~ - Himself 11/24/03

Richard & Judy~ - Himself 10/9/03 & 5/15/03

After They Were Famous~ - Himself in Z Cars 12/23/02

Fun at the Funeral Parlour~ Himself in The Mountains of Doom (#1.4) 1/22/01

Turning Points~ - Himself (#1.1)

Laurence Olivier Awards 2002, The~2002  - Himself (presenter)

Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute~2002  (archive footage) - Himself

I Love Christmas~2001  - Father Christmas, Host/Himself

Fun at the Funeral Parlour~2001 - Himself in Mountains of Doom, The (# 1.4) 1/22/2001 
Night of a Thousand Shows~2000  - Himself
Big Knights, The~1999  series (voice) - Sir Morris
Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything, The~1999  - King Henry VIII
Greatest Story in the World, The~1999  - Mr. Scottley

Big Breakfast, The~1992 - Himself 1999 
GMTV~1993 - Himself 1999 
Celebrity Ready, Steady, Cook~1998 - Himself
History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, The~1997  mini-series - Squire Western

Katharina die GroBe~1995  - Bestuzhev
Kidnapped~1995  - Cluny McPherson

MacGyver: Lost treasure of Atlantis~1994  - Atticus

Lady Chattrerley~1992  - Petty Officer Freddie 

Television's Greatest Hits~1992 - Himself (#1.4) 1992
Prisoner of Honor~1991  - General Gonse

Lovejoy~1986 - Harry Catapodis in Black Virgin of Vladimir, and Riding in Rollers (#2.12) 1991, (#2.11) 1991
War and Remembrance~1989  mini-series - General Yevlenko

Minder~1979 - Last Video Show, The (#7.4) 1/23/1989
Boon~1986 - Lambert Sampson in Banbury Blue (#3.10) 1/3/89
My Family and Other Animals~1987  series - Spiro
Doctor Who~1986 - Trial of a Time Lord, The (#23.13,14) 11/29/86
Roland Rat, the Series~1986 - Himself (#3.13, 1.1) 1986
Crossbow~1986 - Gaston
Doctor Who~1963 - Yrcanos in Mindwarp (#23.2) 1986
Return to Treasure Island~1985  mini-series - Long John Silver
Last Days of Pompeii, The~1984  mini-series - Olinthus
Master of Ballantrae, The ~1984  - Captain Teach (see Actor Connections - TV)
Hound of the Baskervilles, The~1983  - Geoffrey Lyons

Black Adder, The~1983  series - King Richard IV

Tales of the Unexpected~1979 - Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan in Lamb to the Slaughter (#1.4) 4/14/1979
Crime and Punishment~1979  mini-series - Porfiry
Aphrodite Inheritance, The~1979  mini-series - Basileos

Blake's 7~1978 - Vargas in Cygnus Alpha (#1.3) 1/16/1978

Survivors~1975 - Brod in Law of the Jungle (#3.3) 1977
Space: 1999~1975 - Mentor in The Metamorph 9/4/76 (see Actor Connections - TV)
Boy Dominic~1976  series - William Woodcock
I, Claudius~1976  mini-series - Augustus (see Actor Connections - TV)

Cosmic Princess~1976  - Mentor

Into Infinity~1976  - Tom Bowen (see Actor Connections - TV)
Midsummer Nightmare, A~1976  - 
Story of David, The~1976  - Abner
Great Alfred, The~1975  -

Sweeney, The~1975 - Kemble in Ringer (#1.1) 1/2/1975
Space: 1999~1975 - Dr Cabot Rowland in Death's Other Dominion 1975 (see Actor Connections - TV)
Churchill's People~1974 - Churchill? (see Actor Connections - TV)

Public Eye~1965 - Reverend William Pratt in Egg #038; Cress Sandwiches 1973
Recruiting Officer, The~1973  -

Arthur of the Britons~1972  series - Mark of Cornwall

Cold Comfort Farm~1971  - Reuben Starkadder

Whom God Hath Joined~1970  - 

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)~1969 - Jim Lawsey in Ghost Who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo, The (#1.11) 11/30/1969
Son of Man~1969  - Peter
Three Musketeers, The~1966  mini-series - Porthos

Z Cars~1962  series - P.C. 'Fancy' Smith (1962-1965)

Avengers, The~1961 - 

   Sgt. Hearn in Morning after, The (#7.18) 1/29/1969
   Mark Dayton in Superlative Seven, The (#5.12) 4/8/1967

 

Commercials

Toymaster Toys

 

Theatre
The Relapse..or Virtue in Danger~2001 - (The Olivier Theatre, London, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Peter Pan~2005/06 - Mr. Darling/Captain Hook (The Regent Theatre, Ipswich, UK)

Peter Pan~2003/04 - Mr. Darling/Captain Hook (The Orchard, Dartford, UK)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang~2002/3 - Baron Bomburst (Palladium Theatre, London, UK)

Metropolis~1989 - (West End, London, UK)
Cats~1981 - Bustopher Jones/Old Deuteronomy (West End, London, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Peter Pan~1993/4 - Mr. Darling/Captain Hook (Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, )

Metropolis~1980's - 

 

Radio

Buttons~2006 - voice of the Town Crier

Official voice of the Christian O'Connell breakfast show (Virgin Radio)~2006

 

Books:
Into Thin Air - consultant
The Turquoise Mountain : Nothing's Impossible by Brian Blessed

To the Top of the World : Discover the History Behind Some of the Greatest Climbs on Mount Everest, the Highest Mountain in the World, and Experience... by Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed on Everest by Brian Blessed

 

Video Games

Alexander expansion of Rome: Total War~2006 - Narrator

Windhamer 40,000: Fire Warrior~2003 - The Admiral

Kingdom Hearts~2002 (voice) - Clayton

Tarzan~1999 (voice) - Clayton

Privateer 2: The Darkening~1996 - Uncle Kashumai

 

Miscellany

Brian Blessed's official site

 

2008 - characterized in Peter Wynter Bee's caricature book

2007 - With Sean Bean dedicating the Robin Hood statue at the Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (UK)

 

2006 - ExCeL London at the Nepal booth with Michael Palin.

 

Nephew of mining artist George Blessed.

 

2007 - will make his 4th attempt at climbing Mt. Everest and will be the second oldest man ever to do so.  Previous male record holder was 70.

 

Has attempted to climb Mt. Everest three times.

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