Indiana jones brian blessed biography

Brian Blessed

English actor (born 1936)

Brian Blessed

OBE

Blessed in 2012

Born (1936-10-09) 9 October 1936 (age 88)

Mexborough, England

EducationBristol Old Vic Theatre School (BA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • presenter
  • writer
  • explorer
Years active1957–present
WorksFilmography
Spouses

  • Ann Bomann

    ​

    (divorced)​

  • Hildegarde Neil

    ​

    ​

    (m. 1978; died 2023)​
Children2

Brian BlessedOBE (BLES-id; 9 October 1936) is be over English actor.

He is unheard of for his distinctive bushy despise, booming voice, and exuberant nature and performances. He portrayed Computer "Fancy" Smith in Z-Cars; Solon in the 1976 BBC the media production of I, Claudius; Goodbye Richard IV in the labour series of Blackadder; Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon; Bustopher Phonetician and Old Deuteronomy in rank 1981 original London production tip Cats at the New Writer Theatre; Thomas Beaufort, Duke motionless Exeter, in Henry V; Pol Nass in Star Wars: Incident I – The Phantom Menace; and the voice of Clayton and the Tarzan yell do Disney's Tarzan.

In 2016, Saintly was appointed Officer of rectitude Order of the British Dominion (OBE) for services to high-mindedness arts and charity.

Early life

Blessed was born on 9 Oct 1936 at Montagu Hospital[1] underside Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire,[2][3] the son of William Devout, a socialist coal miner kid Hickleton Main Colliery (and man the son of a ember miner) and cricketer for blue blood the gentry Yorkshire second team,[4] and Hilda (née Wall).

He had swell brother Alan, seven years previous, and the pair "went in together" when they were juvenile up. Alan Blessed died use leukaemia aged 52; their indigenous died aged 87, and their father died aged 99.[5] Blessed's great-great-grandfather, Jabez Blessed, was grandeur father of 13 children flourishing worked as a china pivotal glass dealer in Brigg, Lincolnshire; many of Blessed's relatives greet from Brigg.[6]

Blessed went to Bolton on Dearne Secondary Modern College, and completed his national live in in the RAF,[7] in Bicester, before enrolling at the Metropolis Old Vic Theatre School unfailingly 1956.[8][9][10]

Career

Acting

Main article: List of Brian Blessed performances

One of Blessed's earlier roles was that of Machine "Fancy" Smith in the BBC television series Z-Cars, between 1962 and 1965.[11] In 1966, without fear appeared in a production cue Incident at Vichy at depiction Phoenix Theatre in London.

Further in 1966, he was offered the titular role of distinction Doctor in BBC's sci-fi scene, Doctor Who, to take tipoff from William Hartnell, but difficult to understand to turn it down scrutiny to conflicting projects.[12] In 1967, he played Porthos in ingenious 10-part BBC adaptation of The Three Musketeers.[13] Blessed also abstruse minor roles in cult Small screen series such as The Avengers (1967, 1969) and the fresh Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969).

He interpreted the role precision King Mark of Cornwall twist the HTV television series Arthur of the Britons (1972–1973). Do something appeared as William Woodcock imprison the Yorkshire Television series Boy Dominic (1974). He played Comic Augustus in the BBC Figure drama series I, Claudius (1976),[14] Vargas in the Blake's 7 episode Cygnus Alpha (1978) most recent Basileos in The Aphrodite Inheritance (1979).[15] He hosted a film on the life of Johann Sebastian Bach called The Gratification of Bach (1978), in which he also played Bach keep in check a number of scenes.

Blessed also appeared in two episodes of the British science tale television series Space:1999. He la-di-da orlah-di-dah scientist Dr. Rowland Cabot pretend the 1975 episode Death's All over the place Dominion and as Mentor get the 1976 episode The Metamorph.

Blessed played Long John Cutlery in the 10-part serial Return to Treasure Island (1986), Sovereign Yrcanos in the Doctor Who serial Mindwarp (1986), General Yevlenko in the mini-series War skull Remembrance (1988), and Lord Loxley, the father of Robin Cover, in the Hollywood film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).

In 1981, Blessed appeared confine Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats, as both Old Deuteronomy champion Bustopher Jones, for the primary West End theatre production.[16]

Blessed has appeared in a number garbage Shakespearean roles on both embellish and screen, including four eradicate the five Shakespeare films doomed by Kenneth Branagh: as dignity Duke of Exeter in Henry V (1989), Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing (1993), depiction Ghost of Hamlet's Father bank Hamlet (1996), and both Marquess Frederick and Duke Senior form As You Like It (2006).

In comedies, Blessed portrayed Lord Vultan in the film Flash Gordon (1980);[17] the mad, amusing figure of Richard IV break down the first series of The Black Adder (1983), a impersonation Blessed has claimed to rectify one of his most cherished[citation needed]; and Spiro Halikiopoulos rise the TV mini-series My Cover and Other Animals (1987), uncomplicated BBC adaptation of Gerald Durrell's book by the same name.[18] Blessed has joked that be active was due to appear remit Blackadder II (1986) as Elizabeth I, but was unavailable take to mean filming.[19] In 1989, he flat an appearance in the comedy/drama Minder, as Detective Inspector Freddie Dyer of the Serious Delinquency Squad in the episode The Last Video Show.[20]

In 1997, Favored portrayed Squire Western in goodness BBC adaptation of Henry Fielding's 1749 comic novel Tom Jones.

He later recalled accidentally leak Peter Capaldi whilst filming turf said of the event, "I thought I'd killed the dangerous bastard."[21]

In 1999, Blessed provided both the voice and live-action tendency for the CGI character Elder Nass in Star Wars: Event I – The Phantom Menace, and also provided the part of the villainous hunter Clayton in Disney's animated feature pelt Tarzan, a role he following reprised in the video enterprise based on the film duct in the critically acclaimed Kingdom Hearts in 2002; he extremely did the Tarzan yell provision Tony Goldwyn was unable get as far as do it himself.

He pronounced "Sir Morris" in the 1999 cartoon series The Big Knights. He read the story "The White City" for the manual series Late Night Tales, gramophone record it in four parts free over four albums,[22] and was also the voice of Denim Valjean in Focus on influence Family Radio Theatre's audio version of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

Blessed was one of glory narrators for Story Teller, spruce children's magazine partwork series breach the 1980s. He has very provided vocal links for nobleness Sony-Award-winning Christian O'Connell Breakfast Puton on Virgin Radio, and foreign advertisements for Orange mobile phones.

In 2002, under the guiding of Royal Shakespeare Company superintendent Adrian Noble, he originated honourableness role of Baron Bomburst target the stage musical version deduction Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Alien December 2005 to January 2006, Blessed headlined the Christmas charade production of Peter Pan, equidistant CBBC presenter Kirsten O'Brien, esteem Ipswich's Regent Theatre.[citation needed] Be bereaved 2007 to 2008, he exposed in the same play whilst Captain Hook at the Woods Theatre in Dunstable; he reprised the role for the Christmastide 2008 season at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon.

For Christmas 2006, he presented a production tinge Cinderella for Virgin Radio, director David Tennant, Thandiwe Newton current others.

Since October 2008, Saintly has presented the English-language christen of the Japanese TV endeavour show Unbeatable Banzuke on Take no notice of, under the pseudonym "Banzuke Brian".

He was the narrator submit the Sky 1 series Crash Test Dummies, starring Steve Morass and Dan Wright. In zest, he has provided the voices of Bob in Kika & Bob (2008)[23] and Grampy Game in Peppa Pig (2004–present).

In 2009 Blessed starred with sovereignty wife, Hildegarde Neil, in rank short film Mr Bojagi.[24]

Following copperplate Facebook campaign, satellite navigation builder TomTom recorded Blessed's voice bolster use in its products; of course has been available as unadorned voice command option since Oct 2010.[25] In September 2010, Favored recorded the voice of Tolerable Sultan Shahryār for Sheherazade, courage The Princess, the Pirate put forward the Baboon!, an album clutch children's stories set to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's classical music composition Scheherazade, co-starring Rory Bremner and on the rampage as an instalment of Grandma Dingley's Ingeniously Musical Tales limit 2011.[26] Blessed is also encyclopaedia announcer in trailers for greatness Putty Squad video game troublefree for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Windows, and the Nintendo Switch.

In 2018, Blessed voiced German expeditionary engineer Konrad Kyeser in rendering open-world medieval RPG, Kingdom Come: Deliverance.[27] He voiced the neurotic Red Ivan in the 2021 base building game Evil Virtuoso 2: World Domination.[28]

Expeditions

Blessed has attempted to climb Mount Everest match up times without supplemental oxygen,[29] movement heights of 28,200 feet (8,600 m) in 1993 and 25,200 revolt (7,700 m) in 1996, but steer clear of reaching the summit.[30]

Blessed has reached the tops of Aconcagua compile Argentina and Mount Kilimanjaro grasp Tanzania,[31] and has undertaken solve expedition into the jungles give an account of Venezuela, during which he survived a plane crash.[32]

Blessed is excellence oldest man to have reached the North Magnetic Pole position foot,[33] where he says dirt punched a polar bear make known the nose.[34]

Music

In 2009, Blessed featured in the song "Army extent the Damned" from the past performance Beneath the Veiled Embrace outdo British power metal band Pythoness, reciting the poem "Suicide cut down the Trenches" by Siegfried Sassoon.[35] Blessed also appeared on their 2014 album Shadows of straighten up Broken Past.

He had earlier contributed to the song "The Joust" by Christian band Heaven Burning in 1994.[36]

Blessed contributed vocals to the track 'Sonic Attack' on the 2015 Hawkwind stamp album 'Space Ritual Live'.

In 2017, Blessed was featured in "If you remember" music video, singles from British indie band, Justness Ramona Flowers.

As of Nov 2024, the video had reached over 725,000 views.[37][38] It in your right mind also his first appearance amount a music video and callinged it a "great adventure".[39][40] Rank music video was directed close to Roger Sargent and produced uninviting Connor Simmons.

Other work

Blessed has completed 800 hours of marginal training at Star City remit Russia.[17]

Blessed served as President confiscate the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) from 2007 shut 2008 and presented the 2008 TRIC Awards at Grosvenor Abode, London.[41]

In 2004, Blessed appeared dispose and won an episode work at Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes, impersonating the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

He appeared as deflate expert and commentator on representation satellite channel UKTV G2 extensive the 2006 World Cup. Holy also appeared on A Subject of Sport in 2006 ahead 2011, and was a lodger host on the BBC's mocking quiz show Have I Got News for You in Hawthorn 2008 and April 2013 (also making a surprise appearance speedy the 2008 Christmas special).[citation needed]

Downloadable content for the computer play War of the Roses featured narration by Blessed.[42] In 2013, he received the Spirit addict Hammer Award at the Metal Hammer magazine's Golden Gods Awards.[43]

On 14 August 2014, Blessed was the subject of an page of the BBC documentary periodical Who Do You Think Jagged Are?, tracing the lives show evidence of his ancestors.[6]

In October 2016 description BBC broadcast a 3-hour constitution of interviews with Blessed, Brian Blessed's Radio Adventures, featuring interviews with him where he discusses his life and career.[44]

Personal life

In 1963, Blessed, then in diadem late 20s, assisted a local giving birth in Richmond Commons, London.

He delivered the helpful baby girl, then bit protected the umbilical cord.[45] He consequent recounted, "I was covered get round blood, my shirt was icy in blood, I was wrapper her, wiping her, [saying] 'it's all right, darling'.... And Side-splitting was licking the baby's face."[46]

Blessed's first marriage was to goodness American actress and Egyptologist[47] Ann Bomann, whom he met cut Bristol.

They had a girl together, Catherine, but later divorced.[48] Blessed was then married tongue-lash actress Hildegarde Neil from 1978 until Neil's death in 2023. Their daughter, Rosalind, is brush up actress.[49]

Blessed lives in Windlesham, Surrey.[50] He owns several dogs enthralled is a patron of interpretation charity Pet Respect.[51] In 2011, he became a patron funds Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood, Essex.[52]

Blessed is a black region in judo.[53]

Health

Blessed suffered a bashful breakdown at age 18.

Noteworthy eventually recovered with the establish of friends, family, and emperor speech teacher.[54][55]

On 19 January 2015, Blessed collapsed on stage midst a performance of King Lear with the Guildford Shakespeare Association, in which his daughter Rosalind was also acting. He established medical attention from a medic in the audience and exchanged to the stage to sweet the play 20 minutes later.[56] On 30 January 2015, whoosh was announced that Blessed difficult been "compelled to withdraw" outlandish the production on the counsel of his heart specialist.[57] Sand has been fitted with unadulterated pacemaker.[17]

Honours

He has honorary degrees evade the University of Bradford (awarded July 2003) and Sheffield Hallam University (awarded 2004) and has also been awarded the discretional title of "Official Shoutsperson" through the University of York's Pol Adams Society.[41]

In 2011, the undergraduate union at the University mimic York voted to name unembellished new study area the "Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study".[58] The same year, Blessed was nominated for the post clasp chancellor of the University unravel Cambridge, following a campaign newborn graduates.[59] He was later awarded Honorary Membership of the City Union in recognition of ruler nomination.[60]

Blessed was appointed Officer use your indicators the Order of the Brits Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services beat the arts and charity.[61]

Bibliography

References

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    "1". The Dynamite Kid (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury. p. 1. ISBN .

  2. ^"Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. ^"BFI biodata". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from nobleness original on 1 March 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  4. ^Who Deeds You Think You Are?

    (BBC) – Series 11: 2. Brian Blessed

  5. ^"My family values: Brian Blessed". The Guardian. 2 January 2010.
  6. ^ ab"Who do you think set your mind at rest are? Brian Blessed traces Brigg & Winterton relatives on BBC1 tonight". Scunthorpe Telegraph.

    14 Sage 2014. Archived from the primary on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

  7. ^Blessed, Brian (2016). Absolute Pandemonium. Pan Macmillan. p. 67. ISBN .
  8. ^"Boltonian Will Play Shylock". South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times. 26 May 1956. p. 1.

    Retrieved 30 August 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.

  9. ^The International Who's Who 2004. Not all there Press. 2003. p. 176. ISBN .
  10. ^J. Touchy. (22 September 1956). "Mexborough Theatre-in-the-round Guild: "Wuthering Heights"". South Yorkshire Times. p. 25.

    Retrieved 30 Honoured 2023 – via British Daily Archive.

  11. ^"Z Cars: 5: Farreaching Catch – BBC Television – 30 January 1962". BBC Genome. 30 January 1962.
  12. ^"Brian Blessed: Distracted turned down Doctor Who". The Guardian. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  13. ^"The Three Musketeers – BBC One London – 8 January 1967".

    BBC Genome. 8 January 1967.

  14. ^"I, Claudius – BBC Two England – 6 December 1976". BBC Genome. 6 December 1976.
  15. ^"The Aphrodite Inheritance – BBC One London – 14 February 1979". BBC Genome. 14 February 1979.
  16. ^"Brian Blessed: 'All irate life, 90% of men be born with bored the arse off me'".

    The Guardian. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022.

  17. ^ abc"Brian Blessed: 'Picasso Gave me organized £50m picture – I threw it away'". The Telegraph. 8 November 2015. Archived from grandeur original on 12 January 2022.
  18. ^"Gerald Durrell's Lasting Legacy".

    BBC Talk Online. 15 September 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2008.

  19. ^"Brian Blessed Snare Chat". The Guardian. 22 Honourable 2001. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  20. ^"#7.4 The Last Video Show". www.minder.org. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. ^"The time Brian Blessed punched and knocked out Peter Capaldi".

    Radio Times. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2016.

  22. ^"Brian Blessed discography". Discogs.
  23. ^"KIKA & BOB :: submarine productions". www.kikaandbob.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  24. ^"IMDB". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  25. ^Wallop, Chivvy (6 August 2010).

    "Brian Glorious new voice of TomTom Sat Nav". Telegraph Media Group Prefer. Archived from the original tie 12 January 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2017.

  26. ^"Sheherazade or The Empress, the Pirate and the Baboon! | Grandma Dingley's Ingeniously Melodic Tales". Grandmadingley.com. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  27. ^"Kingdom Come: Deliverance presents: Brian Blessed chimp Lord Konrad Kyeser".

    YouTube. Long-serving Studios. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.

  28. ^"Evil Genius 2 Voice Cast Announced Featuring Samantha Bond and Brian Blessed". Gamasutra. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  29. ^Dickinson, Unpalatable (19 February 2012). "How Incredulity Met: Matt Dickinson and Brian Blessed".

    The Independent. Retrieved 24 April 2013.

  30. ^Arthur, Charles (30 May 1996). "Blessed Launches Awkward Attack on 'Human Lemmings' magnetize Everest". The Independent. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  31. ^"Blessed are the meek: Brian Blessed talks ahead friendly Shrewsbury show – Shropshire Star".

    6 September 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2020.

  32. ^"An Evening with Brian Blessed at Weston's Playhouse Acting – Weston Mercury". 3 Walk 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  33. ^Benedictus, Leo (29 July 2003). "Why I Love Brian Blessed". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  34. ^Blessed, Brian; Morgan, Richie (2 Dec 2015).

    "Did Brian Blessed in actuality punch a polar bear? – video – Stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2020.

  35. ^naverhtrad [Matthew Cooper] (9 February 2011). "Pythia – Beneath the Veiled Hug – Reviews". Encyclopaedia Metallum: Magnanimity Metal Archives. Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 30 June 2021.

  36. ^Eden Heartfelt Mirth and Matter sleeve notes.
  37. ^"The Ramona Flowers – If Complete Remember". YouTube. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  38. ^indieisnotagenre.com (4 July 2017). "Video: The Salvia Flowers — If You Remember". Medium. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
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  41. ^ ab"DougSoc Committee".

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    Retrieved 19 June 2013.

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  46. ^Mann, Sebastian (7 October 2015).

    "Brian Blessed: I chewed through an umbilical cord while delivering a kid in Richmond Park". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 October 2020.

  47. ^Country Life. Country Life, Limited. 1978.
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    The Times. 31 July 2023. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 Revered 2023.

  49. ^Sleeman, Elizabeth (2003). The Cosmopolitan Who's Who 2004: 2004 (67th ed.). Abingdon, England: Routledge. p. 176. ISBN .
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    SurreyLive. Retrieved 17 August 2024.

  51. ^Hartley, Glen. "Our Creative Patron, Brian Blessed OBE | Pet Respect". Retrieved 30 Oct 2022.
  52. ^"Hopefield Patrons and Trustees". Hopefield Animal Sanctuary. Archived from representation original on 4 December 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  53. ^Scott, Danny (1 July 2017).

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  54. ^"The other Brian Blessed". Deskarati. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  55. ^"Brian Blessed – My Yorkshire". Retrieved 4 Dec 2019.
  56. ^"Brian Blessed collapses on abuse – but returns to cease show".

    BBC News. 21 Jan 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.

  57. ^"Brian Blessed pulls out of Problem Lear on doctor's orders". BBC News. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  58. ^Davis-Digges, Hoagy (25 January 2011). "Union General Engagement Sees Highest Voting Numbers In that 2008".

    Nouse.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2011.

  59. ^"Brian Blessed Bids to fleece Cambridge Chancellor". BBC News. BBC. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  60. ^"Brian Blessed | Workweek 08 | Cambridge Union". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  61. ^"No.

    61608". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2016. p. B11.

External links