Brian Blessed
Encyclopedia
Brian Blessed is an English
actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".
miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe
, West Riding of Yorkshire
, England. He attended Bolton on Dearne
Secondary Modern School
, but after his father suffered an industrial accident, he was forced to leave school early at 14 and spent several years working at a variety of jobs, ranging from undertaker to plasterer's assistant
. At the age of eighteen, he suffered a nervous breakdown
, from which he gradually recovered with the help of friends and family. He completed his National Service
as a parachutist in the Royal Air Force
. He began his acting training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
, alongside Patrick Stewart
. He has written about his early life in his autobiography
, Dynamite Kid (1992).
police drama Z-Cars
from 1962 to 1965. In 1966, Blessed appeared in "Incident at Vichy" at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Blessed had small roles in such cult shows as The Avengers
(1967, 1969) and the original Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
(1969). He portrayed Caesar Augustus in the BBC series I, Claudius
. He portrayed the father of Robin Hood, Lord Locksley, in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
. He has appeared in a number of Shakespearean roles on both stage and screen, including four of the five Shakespeare films directed by Kenneth Branagh
: as The Duke of Exeter in Henry V
(1989), Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing
(1993), The Ghost of Hamlet's Father in Hamlet
(1996) and the dual role of Duke Frederick and Duke Senior in As You Like It
(2006). He also provided the voice of Bob in the animated series Kika & Bob (2008).
Other roles have emphasised his comedic abilities: notably Prince Vultan
in Flash Gordon
(1980) – for which he is frequently remembered for the famous line "Gordon's alive!"; the mad, comic figure of Richard IV in the first series of The Black Adder
(1983); and Spiro in the BBC adaptation of My Family and Other Animals
(1987). He also played the role of General Yevlenko in the 1988 miniseries War and Remembrance
. Blessed jokes he almost starred in Blackadder II
(1986) as Queen Elizabeth but he wasn't available at the time of filming.
He provided the vocal links on the Sony-Award
-winning Christian O'Connell
Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio
and introduced adverts for Orange mobile phones. At Christmas 2006, he presented a panto
Cinderella
for Virgin Radio starring actors such as David Tennant
and Thandie Newton
. In November 2006, Blessed made a surprise appearance on the midday talk show Loose Women
. Also, he is featured reading the story "The White City Part 1" which is the final piece on the album Late Night Tales: Nightmares on Wax
. Blessed was also the voice of Jean Valjean
in Focus on the Family
Radio Theatre's audio dramatic adaptation of Victor Hugo
's Les Misérables
.
Blessed has also starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber
's Cats
as both Old Deuteronomy
and Bustopher Jones
during the original London
production. In 2002, under the direction of Royal Shakespeare Company
director, Adrian Noble
, Blessed originated the role of Baron Bomburst
for the stage musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
.
During December 2005 to January 2006, Blessed headlined the pantomime
production of Peter Pan
, alongside CBBC
Television presenter Kirsten O'Brien
at the Regent Theatre
in Ipswich
. In late 2007 and early 2008, Blessed starred in the panto
version of Peter Pan
as Captain Hook
at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable
. He played the same role again in "Peter Pan" in late 2007, early 2008 and again at Christmas 2008 at the Fairfield Halls
, Croydon
.
Since October 2008, Blessed presents the UK showings of the Japanese gameshow Unbeatable Banzuke on the Challenge channel under the name Banzuke Brian. He also guest hosted an episode of Have I Got News for You
in May 2008.
In 2009 Blessed played the world's worst explorer, Sir Basil Champion – a character based upon Blessed's fictional inspiration, The Lost Worlds Professor Challenger
– in the fourth story in The Scarifyers
series, The Curse of the Black Comet. The story was broadcast on BBC7 in 2010.
In November 2009, Blessed starred in a series of online videos on the BBC
Comedy website in which he played Henry VIII
. The concept of the video series is that the Tudor king is alive & well, and living in a suburban semi with his long-suffering sixth wife Catherine Parr
. Henry has embraced modern technology and lives his life online – insulting the King of France on Facebook
, surfing for desirable women friends, and blocking the Pope on Twitter
.
In late 2009, Blessed starred as the Narrator in 'Peter and the Wolf' at the New Victory Theatre, New York.
After a successful campaign on social networking site Facebook, satnav manufacturer TomTom recorded Brian Blessed's voice as an option for those using its satnav devices; Blessed's voice has been available in devices since October 2010.
In September 2010 Blessed recorded the voiceover to Sheherazade, or The Princess, the Pirate and the Baboon!, an album of children's stories set to the classical music composition Scheherazade
by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
and also featuring the voices of Rory Bremner
, Jess Murphy, Sam Morris and Nigel Garton. Brian voiced the role of the Great Sultan Shahryār; the album was released as the first in a series entitled Grandma Dingley's Ingeniously Musical Tales in March 2011.
at the age of seventeen, and he has remained an active mountaineer throughout his life. He attempted to climb Mount Everest
on three separate occasions, but never reached the summit. During his attempt in 1991, the then 55-year-old climbed higher than any other man of his age before having to turn back to save another climber's life at 29,000 ft; the height record was broken by Sir Ranulph Fiennes
in 2009. Blessed has successfully climbed Aconcagua
in Argentina
as well as Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
. He also holds the record for being the oldest man to trek on foot to the magnetic North Pole
, and has undertaken an expedition deep into the jungles of Venezuela
.
He has an honorary position as official Shoutsperson of the University of York
's Douglas Adams
Society, and in 2011 the University's student body voted to name a new study space as the 'Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study'.
In 2004, Blessed sang on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating Luciano Pavarotti
. He is known for his football knowledge and appeared as an expert on the British satellite station UKTV G2 during the 2006 World Cup. He also appeared on A Question of Sport
in 2006 and again in 2011 and was a guest host of Have I Got News for You
in May 2008, alongside guests Alan Duncan
and Marcus Brigstocke
(also making a surprise appearance in the Christmas special later in the year). His madcap manner quickly made the show deviate from its usual format, with Paul Merton
remarking "Does anyone remember how this show used to be like?". In the same month he appeared as a guest on The Paul O'Grady Show
.
Blessed was President of the Television and Radio Industries Club
(TRIC) in 2007–2008 and presented the 2008 TRIC Awards at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane. TRIC is an organisation which honours achievers in the film and radio industries. He has honorary degree
s from the University of Bradford
, awarded in July 2003, and Sheffield Hallam University
, awarded in 2004.
He also stars in the Living Legend show in Jersey, Channel Islands. It features many celebrity faces, such as Roger Lloyd Pack
, Samantha Janus
, Kevin Whately
and Tony Robinson
. The story is of the history of the island.
In 2009, he featured on the song "Army of the Damned", part of the debut album
Beneath the Veiled Embrace
by UK power-metal band Pythia
, reading the poem "Suicide in the Trenches
" by Siegfried Sassoon
.
In June 2011, a campaign by Cambridge
graduate
s resulted in Blessed's being nominated
for the post of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
, Surrey
. He married actress Hildegarde Neil Zimmermann
in 1978 and they have one daughter, Rosalind. He also has a number of dogs and, together with Leona Lewis
, is a patron of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".
Early life
The son of William Blessed, a socialistSocialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe
Goldthorpe is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, in South Yorkshire, England. Anciently a small medieval farming village, Goldthorpe is recorded in the Domesday Book and was under the Manor of Bolton upon Dearne which was once owned by Roger de Busli.Goldthorpe railway station...
, West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, England. He attended Bolton on Dearne
Bolton on Dearne
Bolton upon Dearne is a small village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, in the part of the Dearne Valley through which the River Dearne passes. It is approximately seven miles east of Barnsley, ten miles west of Doncaster and eight miles north of Rotherham.Bolton...
Secondary Modern School
Secondary modern school
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s, under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination...
, but after his father suffered an industrial accident, he was forced to leave school early at 14 and spent several years working at a variety of jobs, ranging from undertaker to plasterer's assistant
Plasterer
A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
. At the age of eighteen, he suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, from which he gradually recovered with the help of friends and family. He completed his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
as a parachutist in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He began his acting training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, opened by Laurence Olivier in 1946, is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, an organisation securing the highest standards of training in the performing arts, and is an associate school of the Faculty of Creative Arts of the University of the...
, alongside Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
. He has written about his early life in his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Dynamite Kid (1992).
Career
An early role was that of PC 'Fancy' Smith in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
police drama Z-Cars
Z-Cars
Z-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
from 1962 to 1965. In 1966, Blessed appeared in "Incident at Vichy" at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Blessed had small roles in such cult shows as The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1967, 1969) and the original Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall and Hopkirk , first transmitted during 1969-70, is a British private detective television series starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk, respectively. The series was originally created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman...
(1969). He portrayed Caesar Augustus in the BBC series I, Claudius
I, Claudius (TV series)
I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time...
. He portrayed the father of Robin Hood, Lord Locksley, in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
. He has appeared in a number of Shakespearean roles on both stage and screen, including four of the five Shakespeare films directed by Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
: as The Duke of Exeter in Henry V
Henry V (1989 film)
Henry V is a 1989 film directed by Kenneth Branagh, based on William Shakespeare's play The Life of Henry the Fifth about the famous English king. Branagh stars in the title role, and wrote the screenplay. The film was highly acclaimed on its release....
(1989), Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing (film)
Much Ado About Nothing is a 1993 British/American romantic comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play. It was adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also played the role of Benedick....
(1993), The Ghost of Hamlet's Father in Hamlet
Hamlet (1996 film)
Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the title role as Prince Hamlet...
(1996) and the dual role of Duke Frederick and Duke Senior in As You Like It
As You Like It (2006 film)
As You Like It is a 2006 film directed by Kenneth Branagh. It is based on the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare. The play's setting is relocated from medieval France to a European colony in late 19th century Japan after the Meiji Restoration. It was shot at Shepperton Film Studios and on...
(2006). He also provided the voice of Bob in the animated series Kika & Bob (2008).
Other roles have emphasised his comedic abilities: notably Prince Vultan
Prince Vultan
Prince Vultan is the prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Prince Vultan starts his career as a half-villain with a lecherous side , but soon reforms into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies...
in Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon (film)
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
(1980) – for which he is frequently remembered for the famous line "Gordon's alive!"; the mad, comic figure of Richard IV in the first series of The Black Adder
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
(1983); and Spiro in the BBC adaptation of My Family and Other Animals
My Family and Other Animals
My Family and Other Animals is an autobiographical work by naturalist Gerald Durrell, telling of the part of his childhood he spent on the Greek island of Corfu between 1935 and 1939. It describes the life of the Durrell Family on the island in a humorous manner, and also richly discusses the fauna...
(1987). He also played the role of General Yevlenko in the 1988 miniseries War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
. Blessed jokes he almost starred in Blackadder II
Blackadder II
Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986...
(1986) as Queen Elizabeth but he wasn't available at the time of filming.
He provided the vocal links on the Sony-Award
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
-winning Christian O'Connell
Christian O'Connell
Christian O'Connell is an English radio DJ who presents the Absolute Radio weekday breakfast show.He has formerly hosted BBC Radio Five Live's weekend sports game show Fighting Talk alongside the weekday breakfast show on indie music station Xfm London...
Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
and introduced adverts for Orange mobile phones. At Christmas 2006, he presented a panto
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
for Virgin Radio starring actors such as David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
and Thandie Newton
Thandie Newton
Thandiwe Nashita "Thandie" Newton is a British actress. She has appeared in a number of British and American films, including The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, Crash, Run, Fatboy, Run and W....
. In November 2006, Blessed made a surprise appearance on the midday talk show Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
. Also, he is featured reading the story "The White City Part 1" which is the final piece on the album Late Night Tales: Nightmares on Wax
Late Night Tales: Nightmares on Wax
Late Night Tales: Nightmares on Wax is a DJ mix album, mixed by Nightmares on Wax, released as part of Late Night Tales' Late Night Tales / Another Late Night DJ series.-Track listing:# "Midnight Marauders" - Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie...
. Blessed was also the voice of Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
in Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
Radio Theatre's audio dramatic adaptation of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
.
Blessed has also starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
as both Old Deuteronomy
Old Deuteronomy
Old Deuteronomy is a character in T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and its musical adaptation, Cats.In Eliot's original poem, Old Deuteronomy is described as an ancient, wise cat who has "lived many lives in succession" and is respected by the other cats and humans in his...
and Bustopher Jones
Bustopher Jones
"Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" is a poem from T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and a song from the Cats musical which is based on that poem....
during the original London
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production. In 2002, under the direction of Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
director, Adrian Noble
Adrian Noble
Adrian Keith Noble is a theatre director, and was also the artistic director and chief executive of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1990 to 2003.-Education and career:...
, Blessed originated the role of Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst
Baron Bomburst is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The character did not appear in Ian Fleming's original novel; it was created by the film's screenwriter, Roald Dahl. Played by Gert Fröbe, Bomburst rules the Barony of Vulgaria together with his...
for the stage musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (musical)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, also known as Chitty the Musical, is a stage musical based on the 1968 film produced by Cubby Broccoli. The music and lyrics were written by Richard and Robert Sherman with book by Jeremy Sams.-Productions:...
.
During December 2005 to January 2006, Blessed headlined the pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
production of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
, alongside CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
Television presenter Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten O'Brien
Kirsten O'Brien is an English television presenter and stand-up comic.She is known for presenting SMart, and presented Smile and Totally Doctor Who alongside Barney Harwood on CBBC....
at the Regent Theatre
Regent Theatre (Ipswich)
The Regent Theatre is a theatre, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The theatre holds just over 1,700 people, making it East Anglia's largest theatre....
in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. In late 2007 and early 2008, Blessed starred in the panto
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
version of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
as Captain Hook
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up and its various adaptations. The character is a villainous pirate captain of the Jolly Roger brig, and lord of the pirate village/harbour in Neverland, where he is widely feared. Most...
at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
. He played the same role again in "Peter Pan" in late 2007, early 2008 and again at Christmas 2008 at the Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
.
Since October 2008, Blessed presents the UK showings of the Japanese gameshow Unbeatable Banzuke on the Challenge channel under the name Banzuke Brian. He also guest hosted an episode of Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
in May 2008.
In 2009 Blessed played the world's worst explorer, Sir Basil Champion – a character based upon Blessed's fictional inspiration, The Lost Worlds Professor Challenger
Professor Challenger
George Edward Challenger, better known as Professor Challenger, is a fictional character in a series of science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...
– in the fourth story in The Scarifyers
The Scarifyers
The Scarifyers is an audio adventure series produced by Cosmic Hobo Productions and based on stories written by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. Set in 1936 and 1937, it follows the exploits of DI Lionheart and ghost-story writer Professor Dunning, as played by Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy.Each...
series, The Curse of the Black Comet. The story was broadcast on BBC7 in 2010.
In November 2009, Blessed starred in a series of online videos on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Comedy website in which he played Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. The concept of the video series is that the Tudor king is alive & well, and living in a suburban semi with his long-suffering sixth wife Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
. Henry has embraced modern technology and lives his life online – insulting the King of France on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, surfing for desirable women friends, and blocking the Pope on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
.
In late 2009, Blessed starred as the Narrator in 'Peter and the Wolf' at the New Victory Theatre, New York.
After a successful campaign on social networking site Facebook, satnav manufacturer TomTom recorded Brian Blessed's voice as an option for those using its satnav devices; Blessed's voice has been available in devices since October 2010.
In September 2010 Blessed recorded the voiceover to Sheherazade, or The Princess, the Pirate and the Baboon!, an album of children's stories set to the classical music composition Scheherazade
Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov)
Sheherazade , Op. 35, is a symphonic suite composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888. Based on One Thousand and One Nights, sometimes known as The Arabian Nights, this orchestral work combines two features common to Russian music and of Rimsky-Korsakov in particular: dazzling, colourful...
by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
and also featuring the voices of Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
, Jess Murphy, Sam Morris and Nigel Garton. Brian voiced the role of the Great Sultan Shahryār; the album was released as the first in a series entitled Grandma Dingley's Ingeniously Musical Tales in March 2011.
Other achievements
Blessed climbed Mont BlancMont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
at the age of seventeen, and he has remained an active mountaineer throughout his life. He attempted to climb Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
on three separate occasions, but never reached the summit. During his attempt in 1991, the then 55-year-old climbed higher than any other man of his age before having to turn back to save another climber's life at 29,000 ft; the height record was broken by Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph Fiennes
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
in 2009. Blessed has successfully climbed Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at . It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza and it lies west by north of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
as well as Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. He also holds the record for being the oldest man to trek on foot to the magnetic North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, and has undertaken an expedition deep into the jungles of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
He has an honorary position as official Shoutsperson of the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
's Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
Society, and in 2011 the University's student body voted to name a new study space as the 'Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study'.
In 2004, Blessed sang on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
. He is known for his football knowledge and appeared as an expert on the British satellite station UKTV G2 during the 2006 World Cup. He also appeared on A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport is a long-running BBC quiz show which started on 2 December 1968 and continues to this day. It is currently recorded at The Studios, MediaCityUK...
in 2006 and again in 2011 and was a guest host of Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
in May 2008, alongside guests Alan Duncan
Alan Duncan
Alan James Carter Duncan is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton, and a Minister of State in the Department for International Development....
and Marcus Brigstocke
Marcus Brigstocke
Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
(also making a surprise appearance in the Christmas special later in the year). His madcap manner quickly made the show deviate from its usual format, with Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
remarking "Does anyone remember how this show used to be like?". In the same month he appeared as a guest on The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
.
Blessed was President of the Television and Radio Industries Club
Television and Radio Industries Club
The Television and Radio Industries Club is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries"...
(TRIC) in 2007–2008 and presented the 2008 TRIC Awards at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane. TRIC is an organisation which honours achievers in the film and radio industries. He has honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s from the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
, awarded in July 2003, and Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
, awarded in 2004.
He also stars in the Living Legend show in Jersey, Channel Islands. It features many celebrity faces, such as Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd Pack
Roger Lloyd-Pack is an English actor known for his roles in the TV shows The Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools and Horses and The Old Guys.-Career:...
, Samantha Janus
Samantha Janus
Samantha Zoe Womack is an English actress, singer and director, both on television and stage. In recent years she has been best known for playing the role of Ronnie Branning in EastEnders, but made her name in the early 1990s as Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and also represented the United Kingdom in...
, Kevin Whately
Kevin Whately
Kevin Whately is an English actor.Whately is known for his starring role as Neville Hope in the British television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, his role as Dr Jack Kerruish in the drama series Peak Practice, and as Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas Inspector Morse and...
and Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
. The story is of the history of the island.
In 2009, he featured on the song "Army of the Damned", part of the debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Beneath the Veiled Embrace
Beneath the Veiled Embrace
Beneath the Veiled Embrace is the first album by power metal band Pythia, released 12 October 2009. It was re-released on 23 February 2011 with alternative cover artwork and three bonus tracks.-Track listing:...
by UK power-metal band Pythia
Pythia (band)
Pythia is a heavy metal band from London, England.Pythia is a group of classically and heavy-metal inspired musicians. Lead singer Emily Ovenden is also a member of the classical group the Mediaeval Baebes and Celtic Legend. Drummer Marc Dyos and guitarist Ross White are originally from the thrash...
, reading the poem "Suicide in the Trenches
Suicide in the Trenches
Suicide in the Trenches is a poem by Siegfried Sassoon, written during his First World War military service and published in his 1918 collection: Counter-Attack and Other Poems.-The Poem:I knew a simple soldier boy........
" by Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Sassoon
Siegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
.
In June 2011, a campaign by Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
graduate
Graduate
Graduate refers to someone who has been the subject of a Graduation. See also: Alumnus.It may also refer to:* Graduate or University Graduate or College graduate someone who has been awarded a degree by a university or college....
s resulted in Blessed's being nominated
University of Cambridge Chancellor election, 2011
The University of Cambridge held an election for the position of Chancellor in October 2011, resulting in the choice of Lord Sainsbury of Turville to succeed the retiring incumbent Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke had retired on 30 June 2011, shortly after his 90th birthday, having been...
for the post of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Personal life
Blessed lives in WindleshamWindlesham
Windlesham is a village in the Surrey Heath district of Surrey in South East England. It is also the name of the parish that covers Bagshot and Lightwater, in addition to Windlesham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He married actress Hildegarde Neil Zimmermann
Hildegarde Neil
Hildegarde Neil is an English actress.She first appeared on television in a BBC schools' television production of Julius Caesar in 1963 and after that appeared mostly as a guest artiste in a variety of TV series over the last 40 years...
in 1978 and they have one daughter, Rosalind. He also has a number of dogs and, together with Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, is a patron of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary
Selected work
- 1962–1965 – Z-CarsZ-CarsZ-Cars is a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Merseyside. Produced by the BBC, it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978.-Origins:The series was developed by...
– PC "Fancy" Smith - 1966 – The Three Musketeers – Porthos
- 1967 – The AvengersThe Avengers (TV series)The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
"The Superlative Seven" – Mark Dayton - 1968 – The Avengers "The Morning After" – Sergeant Hearn
- 1968 – Cold Comfort FarmCold Comfort FarmCold Comfort Farm is a comic novel by Stella Gibbons, published in 1932. It parodies the romanticised, sometimes doom-laden accounts of rural life popular at the time, by writers such as Mary Webb...
– Reuben Starkadder - 1969 – Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)Randall and Hopkirk , first transmitted during 1969-70, is a British private detective television series starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk, respectively. The series was originally created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman...
"The Ghost Who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo" - 1970 – Country DanceCountry Dance (film)Country Dance Country Dance Country Dance (also known as Brotherly Love (USA) and The Same Skin (UK) is a 1970 British drama film based on the novel Household Ghosts (1961) by James Kennaway which became a three-act stage play 1967...
– Jack Baird - 1972 – Arthur of the BritonsArthur of the BritonsArthur of the Britons is a British television show about the historical King Arthur. Produced by the HTV regional franchise, it consisted of two series, released between 1972 and 1973...
– Mark of CornwallMark of CornwallMark of Cornwall was a king of Kernow in the early 6th century. He is most famous for his appearance in Arthurian legend as the uncle of Tristan and husband of Iseult, who engage in a secret affair.-The legend:Mark sent Tristan as his proxy to fetch his young bride, the Princess Iseult, from... - 1972 – Man of LaManchaMan of La Mancha (film)Man of La Mancha is a 1972 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion...
– Pedro - 1975 – The Day After TomorrowThe Day After Tomorrow (TV special)The Day After Tomorrow is a 1975 British science-fiction television drama produced by Gerry Anderson between the two series of Space: 1999. Written by Johnny Byrne and directed by Charles Crichton, it stars Brian Blessed, Joanna Dunham and Nick Tate, and is narrated by Ed Bishop...
– Dr Tom Bowen - 1975 – The SweeneyThe SweeneyThe Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
"Ringer" – Frank Kemble, boss of a gang of criminals - 1976 – Space: 1999Space: 1999Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
"Death's Other Dominion" – Dr. Cabot Rowland, "The Metamorph" Mentor - 1976 – I, ClaudiusI, Claudius (TV series)I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time...
– AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian... - 1977 – SurvivorsSurvivorsSurvivors is a British post-apocalyptic fiction television series devised by Terry Nation and produced by Terence Dudley at the BBC from 1975 to 1977...
"Law of the Jungle" (Series 3) – Brod - 1978 – Blake's 7Blake's 7Blake's 7 is a British science fiction television series produced by the BBC for its BBC1 channel. The series was created by Terry Nation, a prolific television writer and creator of the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who. Four series of Blake's 7 were produced and broadcast between 1978...
"Cygnus Alpha" (series 1) – Vargas - 1980 – Flash GordonFlash Gordon (film)Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
– Prince VultanPrince VultanPrince Vultan is the prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Prince Vultan starts his career as a half-villain with a lecherous side , but soon reforms into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies... - 1980 – The Little World of Don Camillo
- 1980 – The Joy of Bach (TV) – J.S. Bach/himself
- 1983 – Great Little Railways (BBC television series)
- 1983 – The Black AdderBlackadderBlackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
– Richard IV - 1983 – High Road to ChinaHigh Road to ChinaHigh Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by...
- 1984 – The Last Days of Pompeii – Olinthus
- 1986 – Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
– King Yrcanos in the serial – The Trial of a Time LordThe Trial of a Time LordThe Trial of a Time Lord is a fourteen-part British science fiction serial of the long running BBC series Doctor Who. The serial, produced as the twenty-third season of the Doctor Who television series, aired in weekly episodes from 6 September to 6 December 1986...
parts 5–8: MindwarpMindwarpMindwarp is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 4 October to 25 October 1986. It is part of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord, encompassing the whole of the 23rd season... - 1987 – My Family and Other AnimalsMy Family and Other AnimalsMy Family and Other Animals is an autobiographical work by naturalist Gerald Durrell, telling of the part of his childhood he spent on the Greek island of Corfu between 1935 and 1939. It describes the life of the Durrell Family on the island in a humorous manner, and also richly discusses the fauna...
– Spiro - 1989 – Henry VHenry V (1989 film)Henry V is a 1989 film directed by Kenneth Branagh, based on William Shakespeare's play The Life of Henry the Fifth about the famous English king. Branagh stars in the title role, and wrote the screenplay. The film was highly acclaimed on its release....
– ExeterThomas Beaufort, Duke of ExeterThomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter, KG was an English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, and briefly Chancellor of England. He was the third of four children; the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford... - 1989 – MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(Series 7) "The Last Video Show" – Detective - 1989 – Asterix and the Big FightAsterix and the Big FightAsterix and the Big Fight is a French comic book, the seventh in the Asterix comic book series. It was written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Its original French title is Le Combat des chefs and it was first published in serial form in Pilote magazines, issues 261-302, in 1964...
– Caous - 1990 – The Castle of AdventureThe Castle of AdventureThe Castle of Adventure is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the second book in The Adventure Series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Stuart Tresilian.-Plot summary:...
– Sam/ Scar - 1991 – Robin Hood: Prince of ThievesRobin Hood: Prince of ThievesRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
– Lord Locksley - 1991 – Galahad of Everest – George MalloryGeorge MalloryGeorge Herbert Leigh Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s....
- 1991 – LovejoyLovejoyLovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
"The Black Virgin of Vladimir" – Harry Catapodis - 1992 – Freddie as F.R.O.7Freddie as F.R.O.7Freddie as F.R.O.7 is a 1992 British animated film written and directed by Jon Acevski. It is a parody of James Bond. The film was inspired by bedtime stories Acevski told to his son about his favourite toy frog working as a secret agent. -Plot:...
– El Supremo (voice) - 1993 – Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing (film)Much Ado About Nothing is a 1993 British/American romantic comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play. It was adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also played the role of Benedick....
– Signor Antonio - 1994 – MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis – Atticus
- 1995 – Johnny and the DeadJohnny and the DeadJohnny and the Dead is the second novel by Terry Pratchett to feature the character Johnny Maxwell. The other novels in the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy are Only You Can Save Mankind and Johnny and the Bomb...
– Ghost William Stickers - 1995 – KidnappedKidnapped (1995 film)Kidnapped is a 1995 TV adventure film directed by Ivan Passer and starring Armand Assante as Highlander Alan Breck and Brian McCardie as Lowlander David Balfour. Among the supporting actors are Michael Kitchen and Brian Blessed...
- 1996 – HamletHamlet (1996 film)Hamlet is a 1996 film version of William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name, adapted and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also stars in the title role as Prince Hamlet...
– Ghost - 1996 – Privateer 2: The Darkening
- 1996 – Dennis the Menace (animated children's BBC TV series) – The Captain (voice)
- 1997 – The History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingThe History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingThe History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. First published on 28 February 1749, Tom Jones is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel...
– Squire Western - 1999 – King LearKing Lear (1999)King Lear is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name . The film stars Brian Blessed in the title role .-Cast:* Brian Blessed as King Lear...
– King Lear - 1999 – TarzanTarzan (1999 film)Tarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
– Clayton (voice) - 1999 – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
– Boss Nass (voice) - 1999 – The Big Knights (animated children's BBC TV series) – Sir Morris (voice)
- 1999 – The Greatest Store in the WorldThe Greatest Store in the WorldThe Greatest Store in the World is a book by Alex Shearer and later made into a telemovie which was broadcast on 24 December 1999. The story is told in flashback by Livvie , a bright young girl who is in police custody on Christmas Day...
– Scottley - 1999–2000 – Nexus (game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
) – Presenter - 2002 – Kingdom HeartsKingdom Heartsis an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
– "Clayton" (video game) (voice) - 2003 – Warhammer 40,000: Fire WarriorWarhammer 40,000: Fire WarriorWarhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior is a Warhammer 40,000 video game available for the PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Kuju Entertainment and was released in October 2003....
– Admiral Constantine (video game) (voice) - 2004 – AlexanderAlexander (film)Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It is not a remake of the 1956 film which starred Richard Burton. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role...
– wrestling trainer - 2005 – Weebl and BobWeebl and BobThe Everyday Happenings of Weebl is a Flash cartoon series created by Jonti Picking and co-scripted by Chris Vick .-Main summary:...
flash cartoon – NarratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... - 2006 – Rome Total War – Narrator
- 2006 – Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog PuppyMist: The Tale Of A Sheepdog PuppyMist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy is a British family television film following the life of a border collie puppy as she grows up to become a working Herding dog. Part fiction, part documentary, it was filmed by real-life shepherd David Kennard on his farm in Devon...
– Sir Gregory - 2006 – The ConclaveThe ConclaveThe Conclave is a 2006 Canadian/German film production directed by Christoph Schrewe. The script was written by Paul Donovan.-Plot:The plot centers around the conclave of 1458...
– Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini - 2007 – Back in Business – Trevor Pilkington
- 2007 – Demands of Levitating Heavy Stones Pt1 (song by Transept) – "Voice of the Prism" (voice)
- 2007 – BBC Radio 1 Voice Over – Christmas Idents – Narrator (voice)
- 2008 – Viking: Battle for AsgardViking: Battle for AsgardViking: Battle for Asgard is an action adventure/hack and slash video game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was announced on August 21, 2007 by SEGA Europe and released in North America on March 25 and Europe on March 28, 2008...
– Narrator (video game) - 2008 – Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for YouHave I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
– Presenter (hosted on 2 May 2008) - 2008 – Daily Cooks Challenge – Guest Judge
- 2008 – The Wrong DoorThe Wrong DoorThe Wrong Door is a comedy sketch show, first aired on BBC Three on 28 August 2008. The programme is the first comedy show in which almost all of the sketches have a CGI element. As such, it was produced under the working title of The CGI Sketch Show...
– Train Pirate Leader - 2008 – Unbeatable BanzukeKinniku Banzukea.k.a. Unbeatable Banzuke was a weekly Japanese television program and the premier sports entertainment variety show of the Tokyo Broadcasting System . Its successors were and . They succeeded by Muscle Musical...
– Banzuke Brian, Host/voiceover - 2008 – Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
– Prince Vultan in the episode "Road to GermanyRoad to Germany"Road to Germany" is the third episode of the seventh season of Family Guy. It originally aired on October 19, 2008, on Fox. It is Brian and Stewie's fourth road adventure, following "Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert", and is succeeded by "Road to the Multiverse". The...
" (voice) - 2009 – All Star Mr & Mrs – Himself (with his wife)
- 2009 – The Gadget Show C5 – Himself, reviewing walking boots
- 2009 – The Legend of Dick & DomThe Legend of Dick and DomThe Legend of Dick and Dom is a sitcom that stars Dick and Dom as two budding young princes who are on a quest to find the antidote to a terrible plague that consumed Fyredor because Dick dropped the cure. The all star cast also includes Mannitol , a wizard who is really bad at doing magic, and...
- 2009 – Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon Zeus (voice)
- 2009 – The Scarifyers: The Curse of the Black CometThe ScarifyersThe Scarifyers is an audio adventure series produced by Cosmic Hobo Productions and based on stories written by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. Set in 1936 and 1937, it follows the exploits of DI Lionheart and ghost-story writer Professor Dunning, as played by Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy.Each...
– Sir Basil Champion (voice) - 2009 – Henry 8.0 (BBC Comedy Extra) – King Henry VIII
- 2009 – Mr Bojagi – Mr Bojagi
- 2010 – All Star Family Fortunes – Himself
- 2011 – QIQIQI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
– Himself