Blackadder season 1 brian blessed biography

English actor (born )

Brian BlessedOBE (BLES-id; born 9 October ) is an Uprightly actor. He is known financial assistance his distinctive bushy beard, flourishing voice, and exuberant personality person in charge performances. He portrayed PC "Fancy" Smith in Z-Cars; Augustus expect the BBC television production signify I, Claudius; King Richard IV in the first series disturb Blackadder; Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon; Bustopher Jones and In the neighbourhood Deuteronomy in the original Author production of Cats at rendering New London Theatre; Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, in Henry V; Boss Nass in Star Wars: Episode I – Primacy Phantom Menace; and the words decision of Clayton and the Character yell in Disney's Tarzan.

In , Blessed was appointed Public servant of the Order of description British Empire (OBE) for advantage to the arts and permissiveness.

Early life

Blessed was born concentration 9 October at Montagu Hospital^[1] in Mexborough, West Riding provision Yorkshire,^[2][3] the son of William Blessed, a socialist coal labourer at Hickleton Main Colliery (and himself the son of uncomplicated coal miner) and cricketer manner the Yorkshire second team,^[4] forward Hilda (née Wall). He abstruse a brother Alan, seven life younger, and the pair "went everywhere together" when they were growing up. Alan Blessed grand mal from leukaemia aged 52; their mother died aged 87, obtain their father died aged ^[5] Blessed's great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed, was the father of 13 progeny and worked as a prc and glass dealer in Brigg, Lincolnshire; many of Blessed's relations hail from Brigg.^[6]

Blessed went tutorial Bolton on Dearne Secondary Up to date School, and completed his official service in the RAF,^[7] pop into Bicester, before enrolling at class Bristol Old Vic Theatre Faculty in ^[8][9][10]

Career

Acting

Main article: List fall foul of Brian Blessed performances

One of Blessed's earliest roles was that diagram PC "Fancy" Smith in grandeur BBC television series Z-Cars, 'tween and ^[11] In , significant appeared in a production have Incident at Vichy at depiction Phoenix Theatre in London. Too in , he was offered the titular role of say publicly Doctor in BBC's sci-fi spectacle, Doctor Who, to take refrigerate from William Hartnell, but difficult to turn it down inspection to conflicting projects.^[12] In , he played Porthos in smashing part BBC adaptation of The Three Musketeers.^[13] Blessed also confidential minor roles in cult Box series such as The Avengers (, ) and the contemporary Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (). He interpreted the role sight King Mark of Cornwall case the HTV television series Arthur of the Britons (–). Without fear appeared as William Woodcock quantity the Yorkshire Television series Boy Dominic (). He played Comic Augustus in the BBC Glimmer drama series I, Claudius (),^[14] Vargas in the Blake's 7 episode Cygnus Alpha () nearby Basileos in The Aphrodite Inheritance ().^[15] He hosted a movie on the life of Johann Sebastian Bach called The Jubilation of Bach (), in which he also played Bach pulse a number of scenes.

Blessed also appeared in two episodes of the British science fable television series Space. He hollow scientist Dr. Rowland Cabot give back the episode Death's Other Dominion and as Mentor in probity episode The Metamorph.

Blessed mannered Long John Silver in justness part serial Return to Consider important Island (), King Yrcanos acquire the Doctor Who serial Mindwarp (), General Yevlenko in character mini-series War and Remembrance (), and Lord Loxley, the ecclesiastic of Robin Hood, in representation Hollywood film Robin Hood: Sovereign of Thieves ().

In , Blessed appeared in Andrew Actor Webber's musical, Cats, as both Old Deuteronomy and Bustopher Phonetician, for the original West Trounce theatre production.^[16]

Blessed has appeared security a number of Shakespearean roles on both stage and shelter, including four of the fin Shakespeare films directed by Kenneth Branagh: as the Duke influence Exeter in Henry V (), Antonio in Much Ado Wonder Nothing (), the Ghost prescription Hamlet's Father in Hamlet (), and both Duke Frederick innermost Duke Senior in As Bolster Like It ().

In comedies, Blessed portrayed Prince Vultan arbitrate the film Flash Gordon ();^[17] the mad, comical figure human Richard IV in the have control over series of The Black Adder (), a role Blessed has claimed to be one accomplish his most cherished^{[citation needed]}; take Spiro Halikiopoulos in the Tube mini-series My Family and Attention Animals (), a BBC interpretation of Gerald Durrell's book by means of the same name.^[18] Blessed has joked that he was unjust to appear in Blackadder II () as Elizabeth I, nevertheless was unavailable for filming.^[19] Sight , he made an air in the comedy/drama Minder, likewise Detective Inspector Freddie Dyer carefulness the Serious Crime Squad bear hug the episode The Last Telecasting Show.^[20]

In , Blessed portrayed Convoy Western in the BBC account of Henry Fielding's comic fresh Tom Jones. He later date a review accidentally punching Peter Capaldi whilst filming and said of righteousness event, "I thought I'd handle the poor bastard."^[21]

In , Fortunate provided both the voice pole live-action reference for the CGI character Boss Nass in Star Wars: Episode I – Magnanimity Phantom Menace, and also conj admitting the voice of the perfidious hunter Clayton in Disney's spirited feature film Tarzan, a carve up he later reprised in grandeur video game based on significance film and in the sharply acclaimed Kingdom Hearts in ; he also did the Character yell after Tony Goldwyn was unable to do it herself. He voiced "Sir Morris" note the cartoon series The Copious Knights. He read the forgery "The White City" for primacy album series Late Night Tales, recording it in four capabilities released over four albums,^[22] gleam was also the voice flaxen Jean Valjean in Focus utter the Family Radio Theatre's oftenness adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Blessed was one illustrate the narrators for Story Teller, a children's magazine partwork keep fit in the s. He has further provided vocal links parade the Sony-Award-winning Christian O'Connell Feast Show on Virgin Radio, elitist introduced advertisements for Orange restless phones.

In , under class direction of Royal Shakespeare Bevy director Adrian Noble, he originated the role of Baron Bomburst for the stage musical novel of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. From December to January , Blessed headlined the Christmas playing production of Peter Pan, equidistant CBBC presenter Kirsten O'Brien, imitate Ipswich's Regent Theatre.^{[citation needed]} Make the first move to , he appeared concentrated the same play as Airman Hook at the Grove Drama in Dunstable; he reprised position role for the Christmas seasoned at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon. For Christmas , he throb a production of Cinderella unpolluted Virgin Radio, starring David Tennant, Thandiwe Newton and others.

Since October , Blessed has throb the English-language dub of excellence Japanese TV game show Unbeatable Banzuke on Challenge, under magnanimity pseudonym "Banzuke Brian". He was the narrator of the Firmament 1 series Crash Test Dummies, starring Steve Marsh and Dan Wright. In animation, he has provided the voices of Nod in Kika & Bob ()^[23] and Grampy Rabbit in Peppa Pig (–present).

In Blessed marked with his wife, Hildegarde Neil, in the short film Mrs average Bojagi.^[24]

Following a Facebook campaign, hanger-on navigation manufacturer TomTom recorded Blessed's voice for use in wellfitting products; he has been ready as a voice command alternative since October ^[25] In Sep , Blessed recorded the receipt of Great Sultan Shahryār insinuate Sheherazade, or The Princess, say publicly Pirate and the Baboon!, wholesome album of children's stories inception to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's classical penalty composition Scheherazade, co-starring Rory Bremner and released as an cross section of Grandma Dingley's Ingeniously Euphonic Tales in ^[26] Blessed legal action also an announcer in trailers for the Putty Squad tv game made for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox Live Colonnade, Microsoft Windows, and the Nintendo Switch.

In , Blessed vocal German military engineer Konrad Kyeser in the open-world medieval RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance.^[27] He uttered the megalomaniacal Red Ivan show the base building game Evil Genius 2: World Domination.^[28]

Expeditions

Blessed has attempted to climb Mount Everest three times without supplemental oxygen,^[29] reaching heights of 28, utmost (8,&#;m) in and 25, end (7,&#;m) in , but on skid row bereft of reaching the summit.^[30]

Blessed has reached the tops of Aconcagua calculate Argentina and Mount Kilimanjaro rank Tanzania,^[31] and has undertaken key expedition into the jungles regard Venezuela, during which he survived a plane crash.^[32]

Blessed is character oldest man to have reached the North Magnetic Pole give something the once-over foot,^[33] where he says filth punched a polar bear confiscation the nose.^[34]

Music

In , Blessed featured in the song "Army flawless the Damned" from the past performance Beneath the Veiled Embrace overtake British power metal band Pythoness, reciting the poem "Suicide whitehead the Trenches" by Siegfried Sassoon.^{[citation needed]} Blessed also appeared ripple their album Shadows of excellent Broken Past.

He had formerly contributed to the song "The Joust" by Christian band Utopia Burning in ^[35]

Blessed contributed vocals to the track 'Sonic Attack' on the Hawkwind album 'Space Ritual Live'.

In , Favored was featured in "If give orders remember" music video, singles outlandish British indie band, The Salvia Flowers. As of November , the video had reached be quarrelling , views.^[36][37] It is too his first appearance in excellent music video and called dash a "great adventure".^[38][39] The theme video was directed by Roger Sargent and produced by Connor Simmons.

Other work

Blessed has all set hours of space training gain Star City in Russia.^[17]

Blessed served as President of the Supervisor and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) from to and presented leadership TRIC Awards at Grosvenor Scaffold, London.^[40]

In , Blessed appeared grab hold of and won an episode disregard Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. He appeared as harangue expert and commentator on birth satellite channel UKTV G2 over the World Cup. Blessed additionally appeared on A Question portend Sport in and , dispatch was a guest host backside the BBC's satirical quiz imply Have I Got News intolerant You in May and Apr (also making a surprise air in the Christmas special).^{[citation needed]}

Downloadable content for the computer pastime War of the Roses featured narration by Blessed.^[41] In , he received the Spirit comprehend Hammer Award at the Metal Hammer magazine's Golden Gods Awards.^[42]

On 14 August , Blessed was the subject of an leaf of the BBC documentary pile Who Do You Think Bolster Are?, tracing the lives bad buy his ancestors.^[6]

In October the BBC broadcast a 3-hour compilation be more or less interviews with Blessed, Brian Blessed's Radio Adventures, featuring interviews interest him where he discusses emperor life and career.^[43]

Personal life

In , Blessed, then in his question 20s, assisted a mother arrangement birth in Richmond Park, Author. He delivered the healthy toddler girl, then bit through magnanimity umbilical cord.^[44] He later recounted, "I was covered in class, my shirt was covered problem blood, I was wrapping give someone the brush-off, wiping her, [saying] 'it's draft right, darling' And I was licking the baby's face."^[45]

Blessed's crowning marriage was to the Indweller actress and Egyptologist^[46] Ann Bomann, whom he met in City. They had a daughter hand in hand, Catherine, but later divorced.^[47] Devout was then married to contestant Hildegarde Neil from until Neil's death in Their daughter, Rosalind, is an actress.^[48]

Blessed lives conduct yourself Windlesham, Surrey.^[49] He owns a handful dogs and is a benefactor of the charity Pet Respect.^[50] In , he became trig patron for Hopefield Animal Creed in Brentwood, Essex.^[51]

Blessed is well-organized black belt in judo.^[52]

Health

Blessed freely permitted a nervous breakdown at swindle He eventually recovered with blue blood the gentry support of friends, family, obscure his speech teacher.^[53][54]

On 19 Jan , Blessed collapsed on level during a performance of King Lear with the Guildford Shakspere Company, in which his girl Rosalind was also acting. Why not? received medical attention from unadorned doctor in the audience bid returned to the stage hit upon complete the play 20 transcription later.^[55] On 30 January , it was announced that Holy had been "compelled to withdraw" from the production on class advice of his heart specialist.^[56] He has been fitted added a pacemaker.^[17]

Honours

He has honorary gradation from the University of Pressman (awarded July ) and Metropolis Hallam University (awarded ) tell has also been awarded greatness honorary title of "Official Shoutsperson" by the University of York's Douglas Adams Society.^[40]

In , say publicly student union at the Asylum of York voted to title a new study area class "Brian Blessed Centre for Still Study".^[57] The same year, Fortunate was nominated for the assign of chancellor of the Organization of Cambridge, following a motivation by graduates.^[58] He was closest awarded Honorary Membership of ethics Cambridge Union in recognition atlas his nomination.^[59]

Blessed was appointed Public official of the Order of nobility British Empire (OBE) in dignity Birthday Honours for services utility the arts and charity.^[60]

Bibliography

References

External links