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Brian Blessed
Actor

Brian Blessed

9 Oct 1936Born
89Age
151Credits
Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UKBirthplace

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

Read the full biography

(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

The 80 most recent of 151 credits.

  1. 2027Dudley & the Invasion of the Space SlugsFilm: Arthur (voice)
  2. 2026Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The MetamorphFilm: Mentor
  3. 2025Time Travel Is Dangerous!Film: Gavin the Octopus (voice)
  4. 2024Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!Film: Grampy Rabbit (voice)
  5. 2024Peppa's Cinema PartyFilm: Grampy Rabbit (voice)
  6. 2022Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!Film: Narrator
  7. 2022Best & BesterSeries: Shouty Shirt (Voice) (52 episodes)
  8. 2021Trollhunters: Rise of the TitansFilm: Charlemagne (voice)
  9. 2020Dear Mr. BurtonFilm: Narrator
  10. 2020Close EnoughSeries: Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice) (1 episode)
  11. 2020Eugenius!Film: Space Lord
  12. 2019Shed of the DeadFilm: Narrator (voice)
  13. 2018Robin Hood: The RebellionFilm: Friar Tuck
  14. 2015Danger MouseSeries: Santa Claus (voice) (1 episode)
  15. 2015Peppa Pig: The Golden BootsFilm: Grampy Rabbit (voice)
  16. 2014The Seventeenth KindFilm: The Voice (voice)
  17. 2014Legends of Oz: Dorothy's ReturnFilm: Judge Jawbreaker (voice)
  18. 2012Wizards vs AliensSeries: The Nekross King (voice) (36 episodes)
  19. 2012LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes OutFilm: Boss Nass (voice)
  20. 2012So You Want To Be A Pirate!Film: The Pirate King
  21. 2012The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!Film: The Pirate King (voice)
  22. 2011Wojtek: The Bear That Went to WarFilm: Narrator
  23. 2011SootySeries: Father Christmas (1 episode)
  24. 2011The Amazing World of GumballSeries: Santa Claus (voice) (1 episode)
  25. 2010Fee Fi Fo YumSeries: GTV Announcer (1 episode)
  26. 2010Mr. BojagiFilm: Mr. Bojagi
  27. 2010Take Me OutSeries: Announcer (voice) (9 episodes)
  28. 2008The Making of The Trial of a Time LordFilm
  29. 2008The Underdog ShowSeries (10 episodes)
  30. 2008All Star Mr & MrsSeries (1 episode)
  31. 2008Agent CrushFilm: Boris Goudphater (voice)
  32. 2007Back in BusinessFilm: Trevor Pilkington
  33. 2006The ConclaveFilm: Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin
  34. 2006As You Like ItFilm: Duke Senior/Duke Frederick
  35. 2006Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog PuppyFilm: Sir Gregory (voice)
  36. 2006Day of WrathFilm: Lord Francisco del Ruiz
  37. 2005Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog PuppyFilm: Sir Gregory(voice)
  38. 2005The Funny Blokes of British ComedyFilm: King Richard IV (archive footage) (uncredited)
  39. 2004448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient HellasFilm: Narrator
  40. 2004AlexanderFilm: Wrestling Trainer
  41. 2004Peppa PigSeries: Grampy Rabbit (voice) (388 episodes)
  42. 2004The Legend of the Tamworth TwoFilm: Wild Boar (voice)
  43. 2003The RoyalSeries: Sir Edward Fawcett (1 episode)
  44. 2003Devil's HarvestFilm: Father Gabriel Norton
  45. 2001Fun at the Funeral ParlourSeries (1 episode)
  46. 2000The Mumbo JumboFilm: Lucifer Bounder
  47. 2000The Nearly Complete and Utter History of EverythingSeries (2 episodes)
  48. 1999The Greatest Store in the WorldFilm: Mr. Scottley
  49. 1999The Big KnightsSeries: Sir Morris (13 episodes)
  50. 1999TarzanFilm: Clayton (voice)
  51. 1999Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceFilm: Boss Nass (voice)
  52. 1999Family GuySeries: Prince Vultan (voice) (1 episode)
  53. 1999King LearFilm: King Lear, Director
  54. 1998Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron MackintoshFilm: Old Deuteronomy
  55. 1997The History of Tom Jones: A FoundlingSeries: Squire Western (5 episodes)
  56. 1997MacbethFilm: Edward the Confessor
  57. 1996HamletFilm: Ghost of Hamlet's Father
  58. 1996Catherine the GreatFilm: Bestuzhev
  59. 1996The BruceFilm: Edward I
  60. 1996Dennis the Menace and GnasherSeries: Captain (voice) (1 episode)
  61. 1995KidnappedFilm: Cluny MacPherson
  62. 1995The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and BeyondFilm
  63. 1995Johnny and the DeadSeries: William Stickers (4 episodes)
  64. 1994Chasing the DeerFilm: Maj. Elliot
  65. 1994MacGyver: Lost Treasure of AtlantisFilm: Atticus
  66. 1994David Macaulay: Roman CityFilm: Gaius Valerius (voice)
  67. 1993Sooty & Co.Series: Santa Claus (1 episode)
  68. 1993Lady ChatterleySeries: Petty Officer (1 episode)
  69. 1993Much Ado About NothingFilm: Antonio
  70. 1992Blood and DustFilm: Chatillon
  71. 1992Freddie As F.R.O.7.Film: El Supremo (voice)
  72. 1992Exam ConditionsFilm: Mr. Carksdale
  73. 1992Back in the USSRFilm: Chazov
  74. 1992Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino RossiniFilm: Voice of Rossini
  75. 1991Galahad of EverestFilm: George Mallory/Self
  76. 1991Prisoner of HonorFilm: Gen. Gonse
  77. 1991Robin Hood: Prince of ThievesFilm: Lord Locksley
  78. 1990The Castle of AdventureFilm: Sam
  79. 1990The Castle of AdventureSeries: Sam (8 episodes)
  80. 1989Henry VFilm: Exeter

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.