BB
Photo of Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed

Actor, DirectorBorn October 9, 1936 (88 years)
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.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • The Eagle Has Landed
  • Space: 1999
  • Asterix and the Big Fight
  • Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
  • Robin Hood: The Rebellion
  • Day of Wrath
  • Prisoner of Honor
  • The Royal
  • Thriller (1973)
  • Boon
  • Danger Mouse (2015)
  • Wizards vs Aliens
  • Crossbow
  • Back in the U.S.S.R.

Known For

  • Tarzan
  • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
  • Henry V
  • Flash Gordon
  • The Pirates! Band of Misfits
  • I, Claudius
  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • Blackadder
  • Hamlet
  • Robin Hood: The Rebellion
  • MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis
  • The History of Tom Jones
  • High Road to China
  • The Conclave
  • Man of La Mancha
  • Day of Wrath
  • The Bruce
  • Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
  • As You Like It
  • Freddie as F.R.O.7.
  • Return to Treasure Island
  • Catherine the Great
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles
  • Shed of the Dead

Filmography

2024
Time Travel Is Dangerous · as Gavin The Octopus
2024
Peppa Pig: Wedding Party! · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
2024
Peppa's Cinema Party · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
2022
Best & Bester (TV Series) · as Shouty Shirt (voice)
2021
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans · as Charlemagne (voice)
2020
Close Enough (TV Series) · as Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice)
2020
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (TV Series) · as Charlemagne
2019
Worzel Gummidge (2019) (TV Series) · as Abraham Longshanks
2019
Shed of the Dead · as Narrator (voice)
2019
Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun · as Grampy Rabbit
2018
2016
The Lodge (TV Series) · as Walter
2016
2015
2015
Danger Mouse (2015) (TV Series) · as Santa Claus (voice)
2015
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
2015
2015
The Big Knights · as Sir Morris
2014
Decline of an Empire · as Modern Day Priest
2013
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return · as Judge Jawbreaker (voice)
2013
Henry Hugglemonster (TV Series) · as Eduardo Enormomonster
2012
Wizards vs Aliens (TV Series) · as The Nekross King (voice)
2012
2012
Toast of London (TV Series) · as Col. Gonville Toast
2012
So You Want to Be a Pirate! · as The Pirate King
2012
The Pirates! Band of Misfits · as The Pirate King (voice)
2012
Santa's Blotto · as Santa
2011
2011
Sooty (2011) (TV Series) · as Father Christmas
2011
The Amazing World of Gumball (TV Series) · as Santa Claus (voice)
2010
Take Me Out (TV Series) · as Announcer (voice)
2009
Mr. Bojagi · as Mr. Bojagi
2009
The Legend of Dick and Dom (TV Series) · as King
2008
Blackadder Rides Again · as Richard Iv
2008
Trials and Tribulations · as King Yrcanos
2008
2008
The Wrong Door (TV Series) · as Captain Goiter
2008
All Star Mr & Mrs (TV Series)
2008
Agent Crush · as Boris Goudphater (voice)
2007
Kika & Bob (TV Series) · as Bob
2007
Back in Business · as Trevor Pilkington
2006
Little Princess (TV Series) · as Great Uncle Walter
2006
The Conclave · as Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin
2006
As You Like It · as Duke Senior/duke Frederick
2006
Day of Wrath · as Lord Francisco Del Ruiz
2005
2005
Midsummer Dream · as Cast
2004
2004
Alexander · as Wrestling Trainer
2004
2004
Peppa Pig (TV Series) · as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
2004
The Legend of the Tamworth Two · as Wild Boar (voice)
2003
Winter Solstice · as Max
2003
Franny's Feet (TV Series) · as Father Christmas
2003
The Royal (TV Series) · as Sir Edward Fawcett
2003
Devil's Harvest · as Father Gabriel Norton
2002
Timeshift (TV Series) · as Pc Fancy Smith, 'z Cars'
2001
Seven Swords of Wayland · as King Oswine
2001
2000
The Mumbo Jumbo · as Lucifer Bounder
2000
Doctors (TV Series) · as Dominic Duvall
1999
1999
1999
The Big Knights (TV Series) · as Sir Morris
1999
Tarzan · as Clayton (voice)
1999
1999
King Lear · as King Lear
1999
Family Guy (TV Series) · as Prince Vultan (voice)
1998
1997
The History of Tom Jones (TV Series) · as Squire Western
1997
Macbeth · as Edward The Confessor
1996
Hamlet · as Ghost Of Hamlet's Father
1996
The Bruce · as Edward I
1996
Dennis the Menace and Gnasher (TV Series) · as Captain (voice)
1995
Catherine the Great · as Bestuzhev
1995
Kidnapped · as Cluny Macpherson
1995
1995
Johnny and the Dead (TV Series) · as William Stickers
1994
Chasing the Deer · as Maj. Elliot
1994
1994
David Macaulay: Roman City · as Gaius Valerius (voice)
1993
Rosamunde Pilcher (TV Series) · as Cast
1993
Sooty & Co. (TV Series) · as Santa Claus
1993
Lady Chatterley (TV Series) · as Petty Officer
1993
1992
Blood and Dust · as Chatillon
1992
Freddie as F.R.O.7. · as El Supremo (voice)
1992
1991
Galahad of Everest · as George Mallory/self
1991
1991
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves · as Lord Locksley
1991
Waiting for Godot · as Pozzo
1990
Stars in Their Eyes (TV Series) · as Luciano Pavarotti
1990
The Castle Of Adventure (TV Series) · as Sam
1989
Henry V · as Exeter
1989
1988
David Macaulay: Pyramid · as Ankhaf (voice)
1988
War and Remembrance (TV Series) · as Gen. Yevlenko
1987
My Family and Other Animals (TV Series) · as Spiro
1987
Crossbow (TV Series) · as Gaston
1986
David Macaulay: Cathedral · as Master Guillaume (voice)
1986
Return to Treasure Island (TV Series) · as Long John Silver
1986
Boon (TV Series) · as Lambert Sampson
1986
Lovejoy (TV Series) · as Harry Catapodis
1985
1984
The Last Days of Pompeii (TV Series) · as Olinthus
1984
The Master of Ballantrae · as Captain Teach
1983
The Hound of the Baskervilles · as Geoffrey Lyons
1983
Natural World (TV Series)
1983
1983
High Road to China · as Suleman Khan
1982
Blackadder (TV Series) · as King Richard Iv
1982
Cosmic Princess · as Mentor
1980
Flash Gordon · as Prince Vultan
1980
The Joy of Bach · as J.s. Bach
1979
Minder (TV Series) · as Freddie Dyer
1979
Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) · as Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan
1979
The Aphrodite Inheritance (TV Series) · as Basileos
1978
Blake's 7 (TV Series) · as Vargas
1977
A Christmas Carol · as Narrator (voice)
1976
The Eagle Has Landed · as Arthur Seymour (voice) (uncredited)
1976
Nobody's House (TV Series) · as Jack Treadful
1976
I, Claudius (TV Series) · as Augustus
1976
The Story of David · as Abner
1975
The Day After Tomorrow · as Dr. Tom Bowen
1975
Space: 1999 (TV Series) · as Mentor
1975
Survivors (TV Series) · as Brod
1975
The Sweeney (TV Series) · as Frank Kemble
1975
King Arthur, the Young Warlord · as Mark Of Cornwall
1974
Notorious Woman (TV Series)
1973
Thriller (1973) (TV Series) · as Det Sgt George Briggs
1972
Man of La Mancha · as Pedro
1972
1972
Arthur of the Britons (TV Series) · as Mark Of Cornwall
1971
The Bristol Entertainment · as Cabot, Wolstan, Pocock, Colston, Pope Gregory, Dr. Beddoes
1971
Justice (1971) (TV Series) · as Tiger Lawson
1971
Shirley's World (TV Series)
1971
The Trojan Women · as Talthybius
1971
The Last Valley · as Korski
1970
Brotherly Love · as Jack Baird
1969
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969) (TV Series) · as Jim Lawsey
1969
Hadleigh (TV Series) · as Joseph Roper
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Ted Gissing
1968
Alf 'n' Family · as Sergeant
1968
The Expert (TV Series) · as Hubert Innes
1968
Cold Comfort Farm (TV Series) · as Reuben Starkadder
1968
The Basil Brush Show (TV Series) · as Captain Hook
1967
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) · as Jim Carter
1967
1966
1966
The Three Musketeers (TV Series) · as Porthos
1965
Jackanory (TV Series) · as Storyteller
1965
Play of the Month (TV Series) · as Sgt. Kite
1965
The Troubleshooters (TV Series) · as Eddie Barnaby
1965
Public Eye (TV Series) · as Rev. William Pratt
1964
The Wednesday Play (TV Series) · as Peter
1964
Horizon (TV Series) · as Brunel
1963
Doctor Who (TV Series) · as King Yrcanos
1963
Love Story (1963) (TV Series) · as Andrew
1962
The Valiant · as Cast
1962
Z Cars (TV Series) · as Pc William "fancy" Smith
1961
Ghost Squad (TV Series) · as Policeman
1961
The Avengers (TV Series) · as Sergeant Hearn
1951
Hallmark Hall Of Fame (TV Series) · as Captain Teach

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