Acting · Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK · Born October 9, 1936
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.
MovieDudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs
2026
as Arthur (voice)
MovieTime Travel Is Dangerous!
2025
as Gavin the Octopus (voice)
MoviePeppa Pig: Wedding Party!
2024
as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
MoviePeppa's Cinema Party
2024
as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
MoviePeter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba
2022
as Self
MovieBug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!
2022
as Narrator
TVSunday with Laura Kuenssberg
2022
as Self – Actor
TVBest & Bester
2022
as Shouty Shirt (Voice)
MovieThe Queen: 70 Glorious Years
2022
as Self
TVBlankety Blank
2021
as Self - Panellist
MovieTrollhunters: Rise of the Titans
2021
as Charlemagne (voice)
MovieDear Mr. Burton
2020
as Narrator
TVClose Enough
2020
as Sir Jack Kleghorn (voice)
MovieEugenius!
2020
as Space Lord
MovieShed of the Dead
2019
as Narrator (voice)
MovieRobin Hood: The Rebellion
2018
as Friar Tuck
MovieLife After Flash
2017
as Self
TVThe Russell Howard Hour
2017
as Self
TVDanger Mouse
2015
as Santa Claus (voice)
MoviePeppa Pig: The Golden Boots
2015
as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
MovieBrian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
2014
as Self
MovieThe Seventeenth Kind
2014
as The Voice (voice)
MovieLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
2014
as Judge Jawbreaker (voice)
The Kumars
2014
as Self
TVWas It Something I Said?
2013
as Self - Narrator
TVWizards vs Aliens
2012
as The Nekross King (voice)
MovieLEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
2012
as Boss Nass (voice)
MovieSo You Want To Be A Pirate!
2012
as The Pirate King
MovieTales of Television Centre
2012
as Self
MovieThe Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
2012
as The Pirate King (voice)
TVCelebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011
as Self - Participant
Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War
2011
as Narrator
TVSooty
2011
as Father Christmas
TVThe Amazing World of Gumball
2011
as Santa Claus (voice)
Fee Fi Fo Yum
2010
as GTV Announcer
Mr. Bojagi
2010
as Mr. Bojagi
In Confidence
2010
TVTake Me Out
2010
as Announcer (voice)
MovieBlackadder's Most Cunning Moments
2008
as Self
MovieThe Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
2008
The Underdog Show
2008
TVAll Star Mr & Mrs
2008
MovieAgent Crush
2008
as Boris Goudphater (voice)
Saving Planet Earth UK
2007
as Himself - Presenter
TVWould I Lie to You?
2007
as Self
TVBritain's Got More Talent
2007
as Self - Narrator
MovieBack in Business
2007
as Trevor Pilkington
MovieThe 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007
as Self
MovieThe Conclave
2006
as Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomin
MovieAs You Like It
2006
as Duke Senior/Duke Frederick
MovieMist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2006
as Sir Gregory (voice)
MovieDay of Wrath
2006
as Lord Francisco del Ruiz
MovieMist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2005
as Sir Gregory(voice)
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as King Richard IV (archive footage) (uncredited)
Movie448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas
2004
as Narrator
MovieAlexander
2004
as Wrestling Trainer
TVWho Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
TVThe Paul O'Grady Show
2004
TVPeppa Pig
2004
as Grampy Rabbit (voice)
MovieThe Legend of the Tamworth Two
2004
as Wild Boar (voice)
TVQI
2003
as Self
TVThe Royal
2003
as Sir Edward Fawcett
MovieDevil's Harvest
2003
as Father Gabriel Norton
MovieThe Dark Side of Everest
2003
as Self
MovieThe Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2002
as Self - Actor
MovieI, Claudius: A Television Epic
2002
as Self
TVAnt & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
2002
as Self
Fun at the Funeral Parlour
2001
MovieThe Mumbo Jumbo
2000
as Lucifer Bounder
TVThe Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything
2000
MovieThe Greatest Store in the World
1999
as Mr. Scottley
TVThe Big Knights
1999
as Sir Morris
MovieTarzan
1999
as Clayton (voice)
MovieStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999
as Boss Nass (voice)
TVFamily Guy
1999
as Prince Vultan (voice)
MovieKing Lear
1999
as King Lear
MovieHey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
1998
as Old Deuteronomy
The Heaven and Earth Show
1998
Fantasy World Cup
1998
as Self
TVThe History of Tom Jones: A Foundling
1997
as Squire Western
MovieMacbeth
1997
as Edward the Confessor
MovieHamlet
1996
as Ghost of Hamlet's Father
MovieCatherine the Great
1996
as Bestuzhev
MovieThe Bruce
1996
as Edward I
TVDennis the Menace and Gnasher
1996
as Captain (voice)
MovieGenius: Pythagoras
1996
as Self
MovieKidnapped
1995
as Cluny MacPherson
MovieThe Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond
1995
TVSoccer AM
1995
as Self
TVJohnny and the Dead
1995
as William Stickers
MovieChasing the Deer
1994
as Maj. Elliot
MovieMacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis
1994
as Atticus
MovieDavid Macaulay: Roman City
1994
as Gaius Valerius (voice)
TVSooty & Co.
1993
as Santa Claus
TVLady Chatterley
1993
as Petty Officer
MovieMuch Ado About Nothing
1993
as Antonio
TVGMTV
1993
as Self
MovieBlood and Dust
1992
as Chatillon
MovieFreddie As F.R.O.7.
1992
as El Supremo (voice)
Exam Conditions
1992
as Mr. Carksdale
MovieBack in the USSR
1992
as Chazov
Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini
1992
as Voice of Rossini
MovieGalahad of Everest
1991
as George Mallory/Self
MoviePrisoner of Honor
1991
as Gen. Gonse
Pebble Mill
1991
as Self
MovieRobin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1991
as Lord Locksley
TVHave I Got News for You
1990
as Self - Host
The Castle of Adventure
1990
as Sam
TVThe Castle of Adventure
1990
as Sam
MovieHenry V
1989
as Exeter
MovieDavid Macaulay: Pyramid
1989
as Ankhaf (voice)
The Old Man Of The Mountain
1989
as Narrator
TVWar and Remembrance
1988
as Yevlenko
A Question of Entertainment
1988
TVMy Family and Other Animals
1987
as Spiro
TVCrossbow
1987
TVThe Gnostics
1987
as Guilhabert De Castres
MovieDoctor Who: Mindwarp
1986
as King Yrcanos
MovieDavid Macaulay: Cathedral
1986
as Master Guillaume (voice)
TVJohn Silver's Return to Treasure Island
1986
as Long John Silver
TVLovejoy
1986
as Harry Catapodis
MovieBlake's 7: The Beginning
1985
as Vargas
TVThe Last Days of Pompeii
1984
as Olinthus
MovieThe Master of Ballantrae
1984
as Captain Teach
MovieThe Hound of the Baskervilles
1983
as Geoffrey Lyons
TVNatural World
1983
TVBlackadder
1983
as King Richard IV
MovieHigh Road to China
1983
as Suleman Khan
MovieDavid Macaulay: Castle
1983
as Voice
MovieCosmic Princess
1982
as Mentor
TVThe Kenny Everett Television Show
1982
as Self
The Little World of Don Camillo
1981
as Peppone
MovieFlash Gordon
1980
as Prince Vultan
TVMinder
1979
as Freddie Dyer
MovieTales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter
1979
as Detective Jack Noonan
TVTales of the Unexpected
1979
as Detective Sergeant Jack Nolan
TVThe Aphrodite Inheritance
1979
as Basileos
TVBlake's 7
1978
as Vargas
MovieA Christmas Carol
1977
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Eagle Has Landed
1976
as Arthur Seymour (voice) (uncredited)
TVI, Claudius
1976
as Augustus
TVNobody's House
1976
as Jack Treadful
MovieThe Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
1975
as Dr. Tom Bowen
The Day After Tomorrow
1975
as Dr. Tom Bowen
MovieA Midsummer Nightmare
1975
as Det Sgt George Briggs
TVSpace: 1999
1975
as Mentor
TVSurvivors
1975
as Brod
TVThe Sweeney
1975
as Frank Kemble
MovieKing Arthur, the Young Warlord
1975
as Mark of Cornwall
TVChurchill's People
1974
as Guthrum
TVNotorious Woman
1974
as Albert Grzymala
TVBoy Dominic
1974
as William Woodcock
European Heritage
1973
as Narrator (voice)
TVThriller
1973
as Det Sgt George Briggs
MovieMan of La Mancha
1972
as Pedro
TVArthur of the Britons
1972
as Mark of Cornwall
MovieHenry VIII and His Six Wives
1972
as Suffolk
TVShirley's World
1972
The Bristol Entertainment
1971
as Cabot / Wolstan / Pocock / Colston / Pope Gregory / Dr. Beddoes
TVJustice
1971
as Tiger Lawson
MovieThe Trojan Women
1971
as Talthybius
MovieThe Last Valley
1971
as Korski
Wine of India
1970
as Will
MovieBrotherly Love
1970
as Jack Baird
TVRandall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
1969
as Jim Lawsey
The Double Agent
1969
as Reg Sugden
MovieSon of Man
1969
as Peter
TVITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Ted Gissing
MovieTill Death Us Do Part
1969
as Sergeant
TVThe Expert
1968
as Hubert Innes
TVCold Comfort Farm
1968
as Reuben Starkadder
TVITV Playhouse
1967
as Reg Sugden
TVThe Further Adventures of the Musketeers
1967
as Porthos
MovieThe Christmas Tree
1966
TVThe Three Musketeers
1966
as Porthos
TVBBC Play of the Month
1965
as Sgt. Kite
TVThe Troubleshooters
1965
as Eddie Barnaby
TVPublic Eye
1965
as Rev. William Pratt
TVThe Wednesday Play
1964
as Peter
TVDoctor Who
1963
as King Yrcanos
TVZ-Cars
1962
as PC Smith
TVThe Avengers
1961
as Sergeant Hearn
TVHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Captain Teach
TVHave I Got a Bit More News for You
as Self - Presenter
