Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed

Known for
Acting
Born
October 9, 1936 (age 90)
Birthplace
Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK

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

Filmography

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Have I Got a Bit More News for You poster

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

TV · as Self - Presenter · 2 eps

2027
Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs poster

Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs

Movie · as Arthur (voice)

2026
Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph poster

Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph

Movie · as Mentor

2025
Time Travel Is Dangerous! poster

Time Travel Is Dangerous!

Movie · as Gavin the Octopus (voice)

2024
Peppa's Cinema Party poster

Peppa's Cinema Party

Movie · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)

2024
Peppa Pig: Wedding Party! poster

Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!

Movie · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)

2022
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years poster

The Queen: 70 Glorious Years

Movie · as Self

2022
Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba poster

Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba

Movie · as Self

2022
Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth! poster

Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!

Movie · as Narrator

2022
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg poster

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

TV · as Self – Actor · 1 ep

2022
Best & Bester poster

Best & Bester

TV · as Shouty Shirt (Voice) · 52 eps

2021
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans poster

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans

Movie · as Charlemagne (voice)

2021
Peter O'Toole Réalta & Rógaire poster

Peter O'Toole Réalta & Rógaire

Movie · as Self

2021
Blankety Blank poster

Blankety Blank

TV · as Self - Panellist · 1 ep

2020
Eugenius! poster

Eugenius!

Movie · as Space Lord

2020
Dear Mr. Burton poster

Dear Mr. Burton

Movie · as Narrator

2020
Close Enough poster

Close Enough

TV · as Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice) · 1 ep

2019
Shed of the Dead poster

Shed of the Dead

Movie · as Narrator (voice)

2018
Robin Hood: The Rebellion poster

Robin Hood: The Rebellion

Movie · as Friar Tuck

2018
Eric and the Barbarian poster

Eric and the Barbarian

Movie · as Odin

2017
Life After Flash poster

Life After Flash

Movie · as Self

2017
The Russell Howard Hour poster

The Russell Howard Hour

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2015
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots poster

Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots

Movie · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)

2015
Danger Mouse poster

Danger Mouse

TV · as Santa Claus (voice) · 1 ep

2014
The Seventeenth Kind poster

The Seventeenth Kind

Movie · as The Voice (voice)

2014
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return poster

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return

Movie · as Judge Jawbreaker (voice)

2014
Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape poster

Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape

Movie · as Self

2014
The Kumars

The Kumars

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2013
Was It Something I Said? poster

Was It Something I Said?

TV · as Self - Narrator · 1 ep

2012
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! poster

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Movie · as The Pirate King (voice)

2012
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out poster

LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out

Movie · as Boss Nass (voice)

2012
Tales of Television Centre poster

Tales of Television Centre

Movie · as Self

2012
So You Want To Be A Pirate! poster

So You Want To Be A Pirate!

Movie · as The Pirate King

2012
Wizards vs Aliens poster

Wizards vs Aliens

TV · as The Nekross King (voice) · 36 eps

2011
Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War

Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War

Movie · as Narrator

2011
Sooty poster

Sooty

TV · as Father Christmas · 1 ep

2011
The Amazing World of Gumball poster

The Amazing World of Gumball

TV · as Santa Claus (voice) · 1 ep

2011
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip poster

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

TV · as Self - Participant · 1 ep

2010
Mr. Bojagi

Mr. Bojagi

Movie · as Mr. Bojagi

2010
Fee Fi Fo Yum

Fee Fi Fo Yum

TV · as GTV Announcer · 1 ep

2010
Take Me Out poster

Take Me Out

TV · as Announcer (voice) · 9 eps

2010
In Confidence

In Confidence

TV · 1 ep

2008
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord poster

The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord

Movie

2008
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments poster

Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments

Movie · as Self

2008
Agent Crush poster

Agent Crush

Movie · as Boris Goudphater (voice)

2008
The Underdog Show

The Underdog Show

TV · 10 eps

2008
All Star Mr & Mrs poster

All Star Mr & Mrs

TV · 1 ep

2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas poster

The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

Movie · as Self

2007
Back in Business poster

Back in Business

Movie · as Trevor Pilkington

2007
Britain's Got More Talent poster

Britain's Got More Talent

TV · as Self - Narrator · 17 eps

2007
Would I Lie to You? poster

Would I Lie to You?

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2007
Saving Planet Earth UK

Saving Planet Earth UK

TV · as Himself - Presenter · 1 ep

2006
The Conclave poster

The Conclave

Movie · as Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin

2006
Day of Wrath poster

Day of Wrath

Movie · as Lord Francisco del Ruiz

2006
As You Like It poster

As You Like It

Movie · as Duke Senior/Duke Frederick

2006
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy poster

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy

Movie · as Sir Gregory (voice)

2005
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy poster

Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy

Movie · as Sir Gregory(voice)

2005
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

The Funny Blokes of British Comedy

Movie · as King Richard IV (archive footage) (uncredited)

2004
Alexander poster

Alexander

Movie · as Wrestling Trainer

2004
448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas poster

448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas

Movie · as Narrator

2004
The Legend of the Tamworth Two poster

The Legend of the Tamworth Two

Movie · as Wild Boar (voice)

2004
The Paul O'Grady Show poster

The Paul O'Grady Show

TV · 1 ep

2004
Peppa Pig poster

Peppa Pig

TV · as Grampy Rabbit (voice) · 388 eps

2004
Who Do You Think You Are? poster

Who Do You Think You Are?

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2004
小猪佩奇国语版 poster

小猪佩奇国语版

TV · as Grampy Rabbit (voice) · 394 eps

2003
Devil's Harvest poster

Devil's Harvest

Movie · as Father Gabriel Norton

2003
The Dark Side of Everest poster

The Dark Side of Everest

Movie · as Self

2003
The Royal poster

The Royal

TV · as Sir Edward Fawcett · 1 ep

2003
QI poster

QI

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2002
I, Claudius: A Television Epic poster

I, Claudius: A Television Epic

Movie · as Self

2002
The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang poster

The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Movie · as Self - Actor

2002
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway poster

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

TV · as Self · 1 ep

2001
Fun at the Funeral Parlour

Fun at the Funeral Parlour

TV · 1 ep

2001
I Love 1980's

I Love 1980's

TV · 1 ep

2000
The Mumbo Jumbo poster

The Mumbo Jumbo

Movie · as Lucifer Bounder

2000
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything poster

The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything

TV · 2 eps

1999
Tarzan poster

Tarzan

Movie · as Clayton (voice)

1999
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace poster

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Movie · as Boss Nass (voice)

1999
The Greatest Store in the World poster

The Greatest Store in the World

Movie · as Mr. Scottley

1999
King Lear poster

King Lear

Movie · as King Lear

1999
Family Guy poster

Family Guy

TV · as Prince Vultan (voice) · 1 ep

1999
The Big Knights poster

The Big Knights

TV · as Sir Morris (voice) · 13 eps

1998
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh poster

Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh

Movie · as Old Deuteronomy

1998
The Heaven and Earth Show

The Heaven and Earth Show

TV · 1 ep

1998
Fantasy World Cup

Fantasy World Cup

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1997
Macbeth poster

Macbeth

Movie · as Edward the Confessor

1997
The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling poster

The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling

TV · as Squire Western · 5 eps

1996
Hamlet poster

Hamlet

Movie · as Ghost of Hamlet's Father

1996
Catherine the Great poster

Catherine the Great

Movie · as Bestuzhev

1996
The Bruce poster

The Bruce

Movie · as Edward I

1996
Genius: Pythagoras poster

Genius: Pythagoras

Movie · as Self

1996
Summit Fever poster

Summit Fever

Movie · as Self

1996
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher poster

Dennis the Menace and Gnasher

TV · as Captain (voice) · 1 ep

1995
Kidnapped poster

Kidnapped

Movie · as Cluny MacPherson

1995
The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond poster

The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond

Movie

1995
Soccer AM poster

Soccer AM

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1995
Johnny and the Dead poster

Johnny and the Dead

TV · as William Stickers · 4 eps

1994
MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis poster

MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis

Movie · as Atticus

1994
Chasing the Deer poster

Chasing the Deer

Movie · as Maj. Elliot

1994
David Macaulay: Roman City poster

David Macaulay: Roman City

Movie · as Gaius Valerius (voice)

1993
Much Ado About Nothing poster

Much Ado About Nothing

Movie · as Antonio

1993
GMTV poster

GMTV

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1993
Sooty & Co. poster

Sooty & Co.

TV · as Santa Claus · 1 ep

1993
Lady Chatterley poster

Lady Chatterley

TV · as Petty Officer · 1 ep

1992
Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini poster

Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini

Movie · as Voice of Rossini

1992
Exam Conditions

Exam Conditions

Movie · as Mr. Carksdale

1992
Freddie As F.R.O.7. poster

Freddie As F.R.O.7.

Movie · as El Supremo (voice)

1992
Back in the USSR poster

Back in the USSR

Movie · as Chazov

1992
Blood and Dust poster

Blood and Dust

Movie · as Chatillon

1991
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves poster

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Movie · as Lord Locksley

1991
Prisoner of Honor poster

Prisoner of Honor

Movie · as Gen. Gonse

1991
Galahad of Everest poster

Galahad of Everest

Movie · as George Mallory/Self

1991
Pebble Mill

Pebble Mill

TV · as Self · 2 eps

1990
The Castle of Adventure

The Castle of Adventure

Movie · as Sam

1990
Have I Got News for You poster

Have I Got News for You

TV · as Self - Host · 2 eps

1990
The Castle of Adventure poster

The Castle of Adventure

TV · as Sam · 8 eps

1989
Henry V poster

Henry V

Movie · as Exeter

1989
The Old Man Of The Mountain

The Old Man Of The Mountain

Movie · as Narrator

1989
David Macaulay: Pyramid poster

David Macaulay: Pyramid

Movie · as Ankhaf (voice)

1988
A Question of Entertainment

A Question of Entertainment

TV · 1 ep

1988
War and Remembrance poster

War and Remembrance

TV · as Yevlenko · 1 ep

1988
Comic Relief poster

Comic Relief

TV · 1 ep

1987
My Family and Other Animals poster

My Family and Other Animals

TV · as Spiro · 10 eps

1987
The Gnostics poster

The Gnostics

TV · as Guilhabert De Castres · 4 eps

1987
Crossbow poster

Crossbow

TV · 3 eps

1986
David Macaulay: Cathedral poster

David Macaulay: Cathedral

Movie · as Master Guillaume (voice)

1986
Doctor Who: Mindwarp poster

Doctor Who: Mindwarp

Movie · as King Yrcanos

1986
Lovejoy poster

Lovejoy

TV · as Harry Catapodis · 2 eps

1986
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island poster

John Silver's Return to Treasure Island

TV · as Long John Silver · 10 eps

1986
Boon poster

Boon

TV · as Lambert Sampson · 1 ep

1985
Blake's 7: The Beginning poster

Blake's 7: The Beginning

Movie · as Vargas

1984
The Master of Ballantrae poster

The Master of Ballantrae

Movie · as Captain Teach

1984
The Last Days of Pompeii poster

The Last Days of Pompeii

TV · as Olinthus · 3 eps

1983
High Road to China poster

High Road to China

Movie · as Suleman Khan

1983
The Hound of the Baskervilles poster

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Movie · as Geoffrey Lyons

1983
David Macaulay: Castle poster

David Macaulay: Castle

Movie · as Voice

1983
Blackadder poster

Blackadder

TV · as King Richard IV · 6 eps

1983
Natural World poster

Natural World

TV · 1 ep

1982
Cosmic Princess poster

Cosmic Princess

Movie · as Mentor

1982
The Kenny Everett Television Show poster

The Kenny Everett Television Show

TV · as Self · 1 ep

1981
The Little World of Don Camillo

The Little World of Don Camillo

TV · as Peppone · 13 eps

1980
Flash Gordon poster

Flash Gordon

Movie · as Prince Vultan

1979
Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter poster

Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter

Movie · as Detective Jack Noonan

1979
Tales of the Unexpected poster

Tales of the Unexpected

TV · as Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan · 1 ep

1979
Minder poster

Minder

TV · as Freddie Dyer · 1 ep

1979
The Aphrodite Inheritance poster

The Aphrodite Inheritance

TV · as Basileos · 8 eps

1978
Blake's 7 poster

Blake's 7

TV · as Vargas · 1 ep

1977
A Christmas Carol poster

A Christmas Carol

Movie · as Narrator (voice)

1976
The Eagle Has Landed poster

The Eagle Has Landed

Movie · as Arthur Seymour (voice) (uncredited)

1976
I, Claudius poster

I, Claudius

TV · as Augustus · 5 eps

1976
Nobody's House poster

Nobody's House

TV · as Jack Treadful · 1 ep

1975
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity poster

The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity

Movie · as Dr. Tom Bowen

1975
King Arthur, the Young Warlord poster

King Arthur, the Young Warlord

Movie · as Mark of Cornwall

1975
A Midsummer Nightmare poster

A Midsummer Nightmare

Movie · as Det Sgt George Briggs

1975
The Sweeney poster

The Sweeney

TV · as Frank Kemble · 1 ep

1975
Survivors poster

Survivors

TV · as Brod · 1 ep

1975
The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow

TV · as Dr. Tom Bowen · 1 ep

1975
Space: 1999 poster

Space: 1999

TV · as Mentor, Cabot Rowland · 1 ep

1974
Boy Dominic poster

Boy Dominic

TV · as William Woodcock · 13 eps

1974
Churchill's People poster

Churchill's People

TV · as Guthrum · 1 ep

1974
Notorious Woman poster

Notorious Woman

TV · as Albert Grzymala · 3 eps

1973
Thriller poster

Thriller

TV · as Det Sgt George Briggs · 1 ep

1973
European Heritage

European Heritage

TV · as Narrator (voice) · 1 ep

1972
Henry VIII and His Six Wives poster

Henry VIII and His Six Wives

Movie · as Suffolk

1972
Man of La Mancha poster

Man of La Mancha

Movie · as Pedro

1972
Shirley's World poster

Shirley's World

TV · 1 ep

1972
Arthur of the Britons poster

Arthur of the Britons

TV · as Mark of Cornwall · 2 eps

1971
The Last Valley poster

The Last Valley

Movie · as Korski

1971
The Trojan Women poster

The Trojan Women

Movie · as Talthybius

1971
The Bristol Entertainment

The Bristol Entertainment

Movie · as Cabot / Wolstan / Pocock / Colston / Pope Gregory / Dr. Beddoes

1971
Justice poster

Justice

TV · as Tiger Lawson · 1 ep

1970
Wine of India

Wine of India

Movie · as Will

1970
Brotherly Love poster

Brotherly Love

Movie · as Jack Baird

1969
Till Death Us Do Part poster

Till Death Us Do Part

Movie · as Sergeant

1969
The Double Agent

The Double Agent

Movie · as Reg Sugden

1969
Son of Man poster

Son of Man

Movie · as Peter

1969
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) poster

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

TV · as Jim Lawsey · 1 ep

1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre poster

ITV Saturday Night Theatre

TV · as Ted Gissing · 1 ep

1968
The Expert poster

The Expert

TV · as Hubert Innes · 1 ep

1968
Cold Comfort Farm poster

Cold Comfort Farm

TV · as Reuben Starkadder · 3 eps

1967
The Further Adventures of the Musketeers poster

The Further Adventures of the Musketeers

TV · as Porthos · 16 eps

1967
ITV Playhouse poster

ITV Playhouse

TV · as Reg Sugden, Jim Carter · 1 ep

1966
The Christmas Tree poster

The Christmas Tree

Movie

1966
The Three Musketeers poster

The Three Musketeers

TV · as Porthos · 10 eps

1965
BBC Play of the Month poster

BBC Play of the Month

TV · as Sgt. Kite · 1 ep

1965
Public Eye poster

Public Eye

TV · as Rev. William Pratt · 1 ep

1965
The Troubleshooters poster

The Troubleshooters

TV · as Eddie Barnaby · 1 ep

1964
The Wednesday Play poster

The Wednesday Play

TV · as Peter, Will · 1 ep

1963
Doctor Who poster

Doctor Who

TV · as King Yrcanos · 4 eps

1962
Z-Cars poster

Z-Cars

TV · as PC Smith, PC Fancy Smith, PC William "Fancy" Smith · 1 ep

1961
The Avengers poster

The Avengers

TV · as Sergeant Hearn, Mark Dayton · 1 ep

1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame poster

Hallmark Hall of Fame

TV · as Captain Teach · 1 ep