Brian Blessed
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.
| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 1.4203 |
| Birthday | 1936-10-09 |
| Place of Birth | Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Also Known As | B. Blessed, برایان بلسد, |
2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
0/0
Boasting an amazing selection of the most watched, most influential and most highly acclaimed programmes ever made, The 50 Greatest Television Dramas...
Watch Now
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2003
Devil's Harvest
2.429/7
It seems innocent enough. Struggling young artist Daniel King is invited by his childhood friend Natasha...
Watch Now
Devil's Harvest
1996
Hamlet
7.311/528
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother now marrying the murderer... his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.
Watch Now
Hamlet
1980
Flash Gordon
6.28/1134
A football player and his mates travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.
Watch Now
Flash Gordon
1989
Henry V
7.095/420
In 1415, in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.
Watch Now
Henry V
2007
Back in Business
5/7
After decades of domination by America and Russia there is a new competitor in the space race... Great Britain. The British Space Agency has designed...
Watch Now
Back in Business
1991
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
6.853/3690
Nobleman crusader Robin of Locksley breaks out of a Jerusalem prison with the help of Moorish fellow prisoner Azeem and travels back home to England....
Watch Now
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
1993
Much Ado About Nothing
6.953/836
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to...
Watch Now
Much Ado About Nothing
1975
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
4.6/5
The spaceship Altares, with a photon drive capable of accelerating it to the speed of light, leaves an Earth-orbiting space station. The Altares crew,...
Watch Now
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
1977
A Christmas Carol
6.652/23
Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his yout...
Watch Now
A Christmas Carol
1992
Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini
0/0
The life of legendary opera composer Gioacchino Rossini is recounted in this documentary, which examines how the author of "The Barber of Seville" opt...
Watch Now
Old Rococo: The Life of Gioacchino Rossini
1971
The Last Valley
6.516/64
People in a small German village in the last valley to remain untouched by the devastating Thirty Years' War try to exist in peace with a group of sol...
Watch Now
The Last Valley
1969
Till Death Us Do Part
7.567/15
Based on the hit sitcom of the same name; racist, anti-Socialist Tory Alf Garnett and his long-suffering wife Else raise their daughter Rita during th...
Watch Now
Till Death Us Do Part
1999
Tarzan
7.408/7488
Tarzan was a small orphan who was raised by an ape named Kala since he was a child. He believed that this was his family, but on an expedition Jane Po...
Watch Now
Tarzan
1970
Wine of India
10/1
In the year 2050, advances in medicine have resulted in a need for population control. People reaching the age of 100 must submit to a government cont...
Watch Now
Wine of India
1971
The Trojan Women
6.2/37
In the aftermath of the Trojan Wars, Queen Hecuba takes stock of the defeated kingdom. Her son has been killed, and his widow, Andromache, is left to...
Watch Now
The Trojan Women
2000
The Mumbo Jumbo
7/1
A cynical young American, Thomas Doubting, stumbles upon a magical amulet which takes him on a mysterious journey to the island of Sinmouth. The eccen...
Watch Now
The Mumbo Jumbo
1982
Cosmic Princess
5.438/8
An alien princess aids people stranded on out-of-orbit Moonbase Alpha.
Watch Now
Cosmic Princess
2006
The Conclave
5.944/18
In 1458, five years after the fall of Constantinople to the Turk, eighteen cardinals meet to elect a new pope. Rodrigo Borgia, a 27 year old cardinal...
Watch Now
The Conclave
1996
Catherine the Great
5.6/34
Trapped in a loveless arranged marriage to the immature future Czar, a young German Princess proves a skillful political infighter and rises to become...
Watch Now
Catherine the Great
1994
MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis
6.3/64
Hunting artifacts attributed to Zenon (an ancient scientist from Atlantis), MacGyver and his old professor end up searching for the lost city.
Watch Now
MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis
1990
The Castle of Adventure
7.75/2
Movie version of the star studded TV series, starring Brian Blessed, Gareth Hunt, Susan George, Rosie Marcel and Bethany Greenwood. Based on the popul...
Watch Now
The Castle of Adventure
1972
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
5.8/21
Adapted from the BBC2 serial The Six Wives of Henry VIII. 1547, King Henry VIII's life has taken a turn for the worse and he is forced to look back ov...
Watch Now
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
2012
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
6.539/1255
The enthusiastic Pirate Captain, along with his rag-tag crew, sets out to beat his bitter rivals. The chaotic adventure takes them from exotic shores...
Watch Now
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!
2003
The Dark Side of Everest
9/3
May 25, 1996 - Bruce Herrod, a South African mountaineer reached the summit of Everest at 5 p.m. On the radio, we urge him to come down as soon as pos...
Watch Now
The Dark Side of Everest
2022
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years
0/0
Marking 70 years since the Queen ascended the throne, Britain’s best-loved stars share memories of the changes they have lived through during her reig...
Watch Now
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years
1992
Exam Conditions
0/0
A teenage boy tries desperately to retrieve the rude caricature he accidentally handed in before his teacher notices.
Watch Now
Exam Conditions
1995
Kidnapped
6.273/11
When Scottish young gentleman David Balfour's father dies, he leaves school to collect his inheritance from uncle Ebenezer, who in turn sells the boy...
Watch Now
Kidnapped
1992
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
5.2/35
Frederick is a young medieval French prince with magical powers, turned into a frog by his evil sorceress aunt, who kills his father in a bid to seize...
Watch Now
Freddie As F.R.O.7.
1970
Brotherly Love
6.5/5
Having left her husband, Hilary moves in with her unbalanced brother, Pink, who uses wit and humor to hide his amorous yearnings.
Watch Now
Brotherly Love
1984
The Master of Ballantrae
6.25/4
The story of two brothers, Scottish noblemen whose family is torn apart by the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Watch Now
The Master of Ballantrae
2022
Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba
7.286/7
Reflecting Peter O'Toole's theatrical legacy, this feature documentary is structured into four acts, each introduced by a quote about O'Toole that enc...
Watch Now
Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba
2011
Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War
5.8/6
This is the story of Wojtek - a magnificent 500lb military bear who fought in World War Two alongside a band of Polish soldiers, shared their beer and...
Watch Now
Wojtek: The Bear That Went to War
1998
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
6.7/3
'Hey, Mr Producer!' features selected scenes from the productions of the world's most successful musical producer, Cameron Mackintosh - classic songs...
Watch Now
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
1991
Prisoner of Honor
6.059/17
France, 1897: Colonel Georges Picquart challenges the government when he discovers the obscure political maneuvers that leads to the imprisonment of t...
Watch Now
Prisoner of Honor
2014
The Seventeenth Kind
0/0
Black comedy scifi about a washed up TV presenter who doesn't let small things like alien invasions stop him from broadcasting.
Watch Now
The Seventeenth Kind
1997
Macbeth
7/2
In eleventh century Scotland, three witches foretell that Macbeth will become King, while Banquo will beget Kings. Macbeth accordingly has King Duncan...
Watch Now
Macbeth
2014
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
6.256/381
Dorothy wakes in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man, and Glinda,...
Watch Now
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return
1983
High Road to China
6/107
A biplane pilot is saddled with a spoiled industrialist's daughter on a search for her missing father through Asia that eventually involves them in a...
Watch Now
High Road to China
1991
Galahad of Everest
8.667/3
Brian Blessed plays George Mallory in this intrepid recreation of his ill fated 1924 climb to Everest. Meeting Sir Chris Bonington, Rheinhold Messnerh...
Watch Now
Galahad of Everest
1972
Man of La Mancha
6.565/77
In the 16th century, poet, playwright and part-time actor Miguel de Cervantes has been arrested, together with his manservant, by the Spanish Inquisit...
Watch Now
Man of La Mancha
1996
The Bruce
6.4/7
Robert the Bruce unites the Scots in a rebellion against the hated English, led by Edward I. He is supported by various loyal followers, notably the b...
Watch Now
The Bruce
2022
Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!
0/0
Fans of an obscure Canadian TV series embark on a location bus tour. When the bus breaks down in a junkyard, this band of misfits find themselves at t...
Watch Now
Bug-Eyed Monsters Invade the Earth!
2006
Day of Wrath
4.419/37
At the height of the Spanish Inquisition, high-ranking noblemen begin dropping like flies, with alarming frequency and unexplained violence. But can l...
Watch Now
Day of Wrath
2012
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
6.46/112
Luke Skywalker embarks on a mission to destroy an Imperial base, but is relentlessly chased by a group of fanatic girls who think of him as a celebrit...
Watch Now
LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
1999
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
6.583/16193
Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for reve...
Watch Now
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
2015
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots
10/1
Peppa Pig loves jumping up and down in puddles wearing her golden boots. Unfortunately, Mrs Duck takes a liking to Peppa's boots and runs away with th...
Watch Now
Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots
1996
Genius: Pythagoras
0/0
Perhaps best known for his mathematic equations, Pythagoras was much more than simply a mathematician. Discover how this mysterious figure reformed an...
Watch Now
Genius: Pythagoras
1989
The Old Man Of The Mountain
9/1
Various fables of human conflict and redemption, stimulating the imagination through magic, mysticism and humour.
Watch Now
The Old Man Of The Mountain
1999
The Greatest Store in the World
5.571/7
Geraldine and her two daughters, Livvie and Angeline, are living rough on the streets on London. When their van blows up, they must find an alternativ...
Watch Now
The Greatest Store in the World
2012
Tales of Television Centre
8/1
Various actors, presenters, directors and other staff who have worked at the iconic BBC Television Centre at Shepherd's Bush in London reminisce about...
Watch Now
Tales of Television Centre
1969
The Double Agent
0/0
In London, a traitor is selling information. In Moscow, a Yorkshire cloth salesman is approached by the KGB, who believe he has more to sell than clot...
Watch Now
The Double Agent
1976
The Eagle Has Landed
6.65/397
When the Nazi high command learns in late 1943 that Winston Churchill will be spending time at a country estate in Norfolk, it hatches an audacious sc...
Watch Now
The Eagle Has Landed
1975
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
7/2
This is the inspiring, epic journey of a noble warrior's quest to prove his worth, his might, and his destined fate to become the next ruler of Britai...
Watch Now
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
1966
The Christmas Tree
7/2
The adventures encountered by Gary, his brother and sister, when they try to get a Christmas tree for a hospital Christmas Eve party.
Watch Now
The Christmas Tree
2014
Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
0/0
Professor Brian Cox is joined by two of his heroes, the actor Brian Blessed and Professor Alice Roberts. On the agenda are his TV idols from both scie...
Watch Now
Brian Cox: Space, Time & Videotape
1992
Back in the USSR
5/7
A vacationing American and a sultry Russian thief lead police and smugglers on a deadly chase through Moscow.
Watch Now
Back in the USSR
1992
Blood and Dust
7/1
The warlike and sentimental adventures of a young French knight who participates in the crusades.
Watch Now
Blood and Dust
2004
Alexander
5.96/3602
Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then...
Watch Now
Alexander
1999
King Lear
9/1
Brian Blessed stars and directs.
Watch Now
King Lear
2010
Mr. Bojagi
0/0
We all know how difficult it can be to choose the perfect gift for someone. But a mysterious man with a mind-reading machine might just have the solut...
Watch Now
Mr. Bojagi
2024
Peppa's Cinema Party
4/1
In celebration of British children’s series Peppa Pig‘s 20th anniversary, the event offers ten exclusive never-before-seen season 10 episodes, includi...
Watch Now
Peppa's Cinema Party
1994
Chasing the Deer
5.667/6
The Jacobite Rebellion of Scotland, and thirty years after the first battle, Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army make a stand at Culloden.
Watch Now
Chasing the Deer
1995
The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond
7/2
More than 30 years have now passed since a certain time traveling police box first materialized on our television screens, and the exploits of its var...
Watch Now
The Doctors: 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond
2006
As You Like It
5.765/102
Witty, playful and utterly magical, the story is a compelling romantic adventure in which Rosalind and Orlando's celebrated courtship is played out ag...
Watch Now
As You Like It
2012
So You Want To Be A Pirate!
6.2/39
With the help of his trusted dodo Polly, the Pirate Captain presents fun-loving and hilarious tips and advice on pirating. Learn how to remember where...
Watch Now
So You Want To Be A Pirate!
1983
The Hound of the Baskervilles
6.541/49
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
Watch Now
The Hound of the Baskervilles
2006
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
7/2
Mist: 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...
Watch Now
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2019
Shed of the Dead
4.915/41
Trevor is 'between jobs'. He spends his days avoiding his nagging heifer of a wife by hiding out in his allotment shed and painting figurines for his...
Watch Now
Shed of the Dead
2017
Life After Flash
5.6/24
A look at the roller coaster life of Sam J. Jones since his role as Flash Gordon, his struggles and successes, and the aftermath of when he went up ag...
Watch Now
Life After Flash
2004
448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas
8/2
Through the eyes of the Narrator and ancient Philosophers of the time, we are taken on a dramatic journey through history; recounting the incredible a...
Watch Now
448 BC: Olympiad of Ancient Hellas
2018
Robin Hood: The Rebellion
5/75
With his true love captured by the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, the legendary Robin Hood and his crew of outlaws execute a daring rescue to save...
Watch Now
Robin Hood: The Rebellion
1994
David Macaulay: Roman City
9/2
The glories of Ancient Rome are explored in ROMAN CITY, based on David Macaulay's acclaimed book. This animated and live-action video recounts life in...
Watch Now
David Macaulay: Roman City
1989
David Macaulay: Pyramid
0/0
How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who...
Watch Now
David Macaulay: Pyramid
1983
David Macaulay: Castle
6/1
The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually strippe...
Watch Now
David Macaulay: Castle
1986
David Macaulay: Cathedral
0/0
Author David Macaulay hosts CATHEDRAL, based on his award-winning book. Using a combination of spectacular location sequences and cinema-quality anima...
Watch Now
David Macaulay: Cathedral
2004
The Legend of the Tamworth Two
5/2
Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of two pigs, named Butch and Sundance, who staged a dramatic escape from an abattoir in January 1998...
Watch Now
The Legend of the Tamworth Two
2008
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
0/0
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord was the umbrella title for a series of four 2|entertain documentaries. Each covered a different story within th...
Watch Now
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
2020
Eugenius!
8.5/2
Meet Eugene, Janey and Feris as they reach for the stars and discover the superhero inside themselves.
Watch Now
Eugenius!
2002
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
7/1
The cast and crew of I, Claudius (1976) discuss the making of the series.
Watch Now
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
2021
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
7.562/371
The Guardians of Arcadia reunite to battle the nefarious Arcane Order, who've reawakened the primordial Titans.
Watch Now
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
1986
Doctor Who: Mindwarp
7.7/7
As the Doctor's trial continues, evidence is presented showing his most recent adventure, one where he faces an old adversary, Sil. As a scientist con...
Watch Now
Doctor Who: Mindwarp
2020
Dear Mr. Burton
0/0
Tim Malloy is a teenager leading a dark and misunderstood life. He spends most of his time in his own world, full of horrendous monsters and grotesque...
Watch Now
Dear Mr. Burton
1975
A Midsummer Nightmare
8/1
A young woman's knowledge of Shakespeare helps her solve a five-year-old mystery.
Watch Now
A Midsummer Nightmare
2008
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments
4.5/2
A countdown of the top 40 "Blackadder" moments chosen by cast and crew members, celebrity fans and 15 genuine Blackadders.
Watch Now
Blackadder's Most Cunning Moments
1969
Son of Man
10/1
Dennis Potter's controversial reading of the life of Christ, with Jesus portrayed as a hearty, fiery, well-meaning carpenter who believes that people...
Watch Now
Son of Man
2008
Agent Crush
4.75/4
To fight crime, a new hero is created but there are a few small glitches to iron out.
Watch Now
Agent Crush
2024
Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!
10/2
Mr. Bull and Mrs. Cow surprise everyone with their wedding announcement and everyone rallies around to make it memorable!
Watch Now
Peppa Pig: Wedding Party!
1971
The Bristol Entertainment
0/0
A thousand years of the gossip, scandals, successes, disasters, eccentricities and cupidity that lie behind the facades of a great city.
Watch Now
The Bristol Entertainment
2025
Time Travel Is Dangerous!
5.286/14
Best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in North London. One day, their lives are forever turned upside down when an abandoned time machine app...
Watch Now
Time Travel Is Dangerous!
1979
Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter
0/0
An enraged detective's wife kills her husband by smashing in his skull with a heavy blunt instrument - but no murder weapon can be found, and the poli...
Watch Now
Tales of the Unexpected: Lamb to the Slaughter
2005
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
0/0
Mist is a puppy with a lofty goal: She wants to be the best sheepdog she can be! Born with two siblings at Borough Farm, Mist sets out to prove hersel...
Watch Now
Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy
2005
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
6.5/2
Movie with some of the greatest brittish comedians such as Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese.
Watch Now
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
1985
Blake's 7: The Beginning
9/1
In the far future, freedom fighter Roj Blake, framed by the all-powerful but corrupt Galactic Federation, escapes his captors from his sentence to a h...
Watch Now
Blake's 7: The Beginning
2002
The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
0/0
Documentary on the London West End stage show which began its three year run in 2002. It has interviews with cast and crew and examines the rehearsals...
Watch Now
The Making of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2027
Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs
0/0
Dudley is a teenage frog who lives a peaceful life by the edge of his pond with his friends, meanwhile his parents are worried about his future. But w...
Watch Now
Dudley & the Invasion of the Space Slugs
2021
Peter O'Toole Réalta & Rógaire
0/0
TG4 documentary ‘Peter O’Toole – Réalta & Rógaire’ showcases a selection of stories from those who knew the beloved star best, including his friends,...
Watch Now
Peter O'Toole Réalta & Rógaire
1996
Summit Fever
0/0
In his sixtieth year, Brian Blessed makes a final attempt to climb Mount Everest. If he succeeds he'd be the oldest climber to do so. However, 1996 tu...
Watch Now
Summit Fever
2026
Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph
0/0
This Breakaway day, Anderson Entertainment presents a spectacular cinematic event for UK fans of classic science fiction. This Space: 1999 double bill...
Watch Now