Brian Blessed
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Oct 9, 1936 (age 90)
- Place of birth
- Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Credits
- 188
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
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999Movie
Boss Nass (voice)
Tarzan
1999Movie
Clayton (voice)
Family Guy
1999TV
Prince Vultan (voice)
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1991Movie
Lord Locksley
Alexander
2004Movie
Wrestling Trainer
The Amazing World of Gumball
2011TV
Santa Claus (voice)
Filmography
Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs
2027Movie
Arthur (voice)
Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph
2026Movie
Mentor
Time Travel Is Dangerous!
2025Movie
Gavin the Octopus (voice)
Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!
2024Movie
Grampy Rabbit (voice)
Peppa's Cinema Party
2024Movie
Grampy Rabbit (voice)
Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba
2022Movie
Self
Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!
2022Movie
Narrator
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
2022TV
Self – Actor
Best & Bester
2022TV
Shouty Shirt (Voice)
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years
2022Movie
Self
Peter O'Toole Réalta & Rógaire
2021Movie
Self
Blankety Blank
2021TV
Self - Panellist
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
2021Movie
Charlemagne (voice)
Dear Mr. Burton
2020Movie
Narrator
Close Enough
2020TV
Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice)
Eugenius!
2020Movie
Space Lord
Shed of the Dead
2019Movie
Narrator (voice)
Robin Hood: The Rebellion
2018Movie
Friar Tuck
Life After Flash
2017Movie
Self
The Russell Howard Hour
2017TV
Self
Danger Mouse
2015TV
Santa Claus (voice)
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots
2015Movie
Grampy Rabbit (voice)
Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
2014Movie
Self
The Seventeenth Kind
2014Movie
The Voice (voice)
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
2014Movie
Judge Jawbreaker (voice)
The Kumars
2014TV
Self
Was It Something I Said?
2013TV
Self - Narrator
Wizards vs Aliens
2012TV
The Nekross King (voice)
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
2012Movie
Boss Nass (voice)
So You Want To Be A Pirate!
2012Movie
The Pirate King
Tales of Television Centre
2012Movie
Self
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
2012Movie
The Pirate King (voice)
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011TV
Self - Participant
Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War
2011Movie
Narrator
Sooty
2011TV
Father Christmas
The Amazing World of Gumball
2011TV
Santa Claus (voice)
Fee Fi Fo Yum
2010TV
GTV Announcer
Mr. Bojagi
2010Movie
Mr. Bojagi
In Confidence
2010TV
Take Me Out
2010TV
Announcer (voice)
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments
2008Movie
Self
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
2008Movie
The Underdog Show
2008TV
All Star Mr & Mrs
2008TV
Agent Crush
2008Movie
Boris Goudphater (voice)
Saving Planet Earth UK
2007TV
Himself - Presenter
Would I Lie to You?
2007TV
Self
Britain's Got More Talent
2007TV
Self - Narrator
Back in Business
2007Movie
Trevor Pilkington
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007Movie
Self
The Conclave
2006Movie
Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin
As You Like It
2006Movie
Duke Senior/Duke Frederick
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2006Movie
Sir Gregory (voice)
Day of Wrath
2006Movie
Lord Francisco del Ruiz
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2005Movie
Sir Gregory(voice)
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005Movie
King Richard IV (archive footage) (uncredited)
448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas
2004Movie
Narrator
Alexander
2004Movie
Wrestling Trainer
Who Do You Think You Are?
2004TV
Self
The Paul O'Grady Show
2004TV
Peppa Pig
2004TV
Grampy Rabbit (voice)
The Legend of the Tamworth Two
2004Movie
Wild Boar (voice)
QI
2003TV
Self
The Royal
2003TV
Sir Edward Fawcett
Devil's Harvest
2003Movie
Father Gabriel Norton
The Dark Side of Everest
2003Movie
Self
The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2002Movie
Self - Actor
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
2002Movie
Self
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
2002TV
Self
Fun at the Funeral Parlour
2001TV
The Mumbo Jumbo
2000Movie
Lucifer Bounder
The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything
2000TV
The Greatest Store in the World
1999Movie
Mr. Scottley
The Big Knights
1999TV
Sir Morris
Tarzan
1999Movie
Clayton (voice)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999Movie
Boss Nass (voice)
Family Guy
1999TV
Prince Vultan (voice)
King Lear
1999Movie
King Lear
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
1998Movie
Old Deuteronomy
The Heaven and Earth Show
1998TV
Fantasy World Cup
1998TV
Self
The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling
1997TV
Squire Western
Macbeth
1997Movie
Edward the Confessor
Hamlet
1996Movie
Ghost of Hamlet's Father
Catherine the Great
1996Movie
Bestuzhev
The Bruce
1996Movie
Edward I
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher
1996TV
Captain (voice)
Genius: Pythagoras
1996Movie
Self
Summit Fever
1996Movie
Self
Kidnapped
1995Movie
Cluny MacPherson
The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond
1995Movie
Soccer AM
1995TV
Self
Johnny and the Dead
1995TV
William Stickers
Chasing the Deer
1994Movie
Maj. Elliot
MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis
1994Movie
Atticus
David Macaulay: Roman City
1994Movie
Gaius Valerius (voice)
Sooty & Co.
1993TV
Santa Claus
Lady Chatterley
1993TV
Petty Officer
Much Ado About Nothing
1993Movie
Antonio
GMTV
1993TV
Self
Blood and Dust
1992Movie
Chatillon
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
1992Movie
El Supremo (voice)
Exam Conditions
1992Movie
Mr. Carksdale
Back in the USSR
1992Movie
Chazov
Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini
1992Movie
Voice of Rossini
Galahad of Everest
1991Movie
George Mallory/Self
Prisoner of Honor
1991Movie
Gen. Gonse
Pebble Mill
1991TV
Self
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1991Movie
Lord Locksley
Have I Got News for You
1990TV
Self - Host
The Castle of Adventure
1990Movie
Sam
The Castle of Adventure
1990TV
Sam
Henry V
1989Movie
Exeter
David Macaulay: Pyramid
1989Movie
Ankhaf (voice)
The Old Man Of The Mountain
1989Movie
Narrator
War and Remembrance
1988TV
Yevlenko
A Question of Entertainment
1988TV
My Family and Other Animals
1987TV
Spiro
Crossbow
1987TV
The Gnostics
1987TV
Guilhabert De Castres
Doctor Who: Mindwarp
1986Movie
King Yrcanos
David Macaulay: Cathedral
1986Movie
Master Guillaume (voice)
John Silver's Return to Treasure Island
1986TV
Long John Silver
Boon
1986TV
Lambert Sampson
Lovejoy
1986TV
Harry Catapodis
Blake's 7: The Beginning
1985Movie
Vargas
The Last Days of Pompeii
1984TV
Olinthus
The Master of Ballantrae
1984Movie
Captain Teach
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1983Movie
Geoffrey Lyons
Natural World
1983TV
Blackadder
1983TV
King Richard IV
High Road to China
1983Movie
Suleman Khan
David Macaulay: Castle
1983Movie
Voice
Cosmic Princess
1982Movie
Mentor
The Kenny Everett Television Show
1982TV
Self
The Little World of Don Camillo
1981TV
Peppone
Flash Gordon
1980Movie
Prince Vultan
Minder
1979TV
Freddie Dyer
Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter
1979Movie
Detective Jack Noonan
Tales of the Unexpected
1979TV
Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan
The Aphrodite Inheritance
1979TV
Basileos
Blake's 7
1978TV
Vargas
A Christmas Carol
1977Movie
Narrator (voice)
The Eagle Has Landed
1976Movie
Arthur Seymour (voice) (uncredited)
I, Claudius
1976TV
Augustus
Nobody's House
1976TV
Jack Treadful
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
1975Movie
Dr. Tom Bowen
The Day After Tomorrow
1975TV
Dr. Tom Bowen
A Midsummer Nightmare
1975Movie
Det Sgt George Briggs
Space: 1999
1975TV
Mentor, Cabot Rowland
Survivors
1975TV
Brod
The Sweeney
1975TV
Frank Kemble
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
1975Movie
Mark of Cornwall
Churchill's People
1974TV
Guthrum
Notorious Woman
1974TV
Albert Grzymala
Boy Dominic
1974TV
William Woodcock
European Heritage
1973TV
Narrator (voice)
Thriller
1973TV
Det Sgt George Briggs
Man of La Mancha
1972Movie
Pedro
Arthur of the Britons
1972TV
Mark of Cornwall
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
1972Movie
Suffolk
Shirley's World
1972TV
The Bristol Entertainment
1971Movie
Cabot / Wolstan / Pocock / Colston / Pope Gregory / Dr. Beddoes
Justice
1971TV
Tiger Lawson
The Trojan Women
1971Movie
Talthybius
The Last Valley
1971Movie
Korski
Wine of India
1970Movie
Will
Brotherly Love
1970Movie
Jack Baird
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
1969TV
Jim Lawsey
The Double Agent
1969Movie
Reg Sugden
Son of Man
1969Movie
Peter
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969TV
Ted Gissing
Till Death Us Do Part
1969Movie
Sergeant
The Expert
1968TV
Hubert Innes
Cold Comfort Farm
1968TV
Reuben Starkadder
ITV Playhouse
1967TV
Reg Sugden, Jim Carter
The Further Adventures of the Musketeers
1967TV
Porthos
The Christmas Tree
1966Movie
The Three Musketeers
1966TV
Porthos
BBC Play of the Month
1965TV
Sgt. Kite
The Troubleshooters
1965TV
Eddie Barnaby
Public Eye
1965TV
Rev. William Pratt
The Wednesday Play
1964TV
Peter, Will
Doctor Who
1963TV
King Yrcanos
Z-Cars
1962TV
PC Smith, PC Fancy Smith, PC William "Fancy" Smith
The Avengers
1961TV
Sergeant Hearn, Mark Dayton
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951TV
Captain Teach
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
TV
Self - Presenter