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Brian Blessed

Booming Brian Blessed, massive British actor was born in Goldthorpe to reprise medieval kings in films and tv such as Much Ado About Nothing and Blackadder, as well as scaling Everest in his spare time.

The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born at 30 Probert Avenue, Goldthorpe near Mexborough in 1936.

He attended Bolton on Dearne Secondary Modern School but after his father suffered an industrial accident, he was forced to leave school early at 14 and took to working at anything he could find from undertaker to plasterer's assistant.

At the age of eighteen, he suffered a nervous breakdown, from which he gradually recovered with the help of friends and family.

He completed his National Service as a parachutist in the Royal Air Force. He began his acting training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, alongside Patrick Stewart. He has written about his early life in his autobiography, Dynamite Kid.

Here's where you can see Brian in action:

1962–1965 – Z-Cars – PC "Fancy" Smith
1966 – The Three Musketeers – Porthos
1967 – The Avengers "The Superlative Seven" – Mark Dayton
1968 – The Avengers "The Morning After" – Sergeant Hearn
1968 – Cold Comfort Farm – Reuben Starkadder
1969 – Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) "The Ghost Who Saved the Bank at Monte Carlo"
1970 – Country Dance – Jack Baird
1972 – Arthur of the Britons – Mark of Cornwall
1972 – Man of LaMancha – Pedro
1975 – The Day After Tomorrow – Dr Tom Bowen
1975 – The Sweeney "Ringer" – Frank Kemble, boss of a gang of criminals
1976 – Space: 1999 "Death's Other Dominion" – Dr. Cabot Rowland, "The Metamorph" Mentor
1976 – I, Claudius – Augustus
1977 – Survivors "Law of the Jungle" (Series 3) – Brod
1978 – Blake's 7 "Cygnus Alpha" (series 1) – Vargas
1980 – Flash Gordon – Prince Vultan
1980 – The Little World of Don Camillo
1980 – The Joy of Bach (TV) – J.S. Bach/himself
1983 – Great Little Railways (BBC television series)
1983 – The Black Adder – Richard IV
1983 – High Road to China
1984 – The Last Days of Pompeii – Olinthus
1986 – Doctor Who – King Yrcanos in the serial – The Trial of a Time Lord parts 5-8: Mindwarp
1987 – My Family and Other Animals – Spiro
1989 – Henry V – Exeter
1989 – Minder (Series 7) "The Last Video Show" – Detective
1989 – Asterix and the Big Fight - Caous
1991 – Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – Lord Locksley
1991 – Galahad of Everest – George Mallory
1991 – Lovejoy "The Black Virgin of Vladimir" – Harry Catapodis
1992 – Freddie as F.R.O.7 – El Supremo (voice)
1993 – Much Ado About Nothing – Signor Antonio
1994 – MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis – Atticus
1995 – Johnny and the Dead – Ghost William Stickers
1995 – Kidnapped
1996 – Hamlet – Ghost
1996 – Privateer 2: The Darkening
1996 – Dennis the Menace (animated children's BBC TV series) - The Captain (voice)
1997 – The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling – Squire Western
1999 – King Lear – King Lear
1999 – Tarzan – Clayton (voice)
1999 – Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – Boss Nass (voice)
1999 – The Big Knights (animated children's BBC TV series) – Sir Morris (voice)
1999 – The Greatest Store in the World – Scottley
1999–2000 – Nexus (game show) – Presenter
2002 – Kingdom Hearts – "Clayton" (video game) (voice)
2003 – Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior - Admiral Constantine (video game) (voice)
2004 – Alexander – wrestling trainer
2005 – Weebl and Bob flash cartoon – Narrator
2006 – Rome Total War – Narrator
2006 – Mist: The Tale of a Sheepdog Puppy – Sir Gregory
2006 – The Conclave – Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini
2007 – Back in Business – Trevor Pilkington
2007 – Demands of Levitating Heavy Stones Pt1 (song by Transept) – "Voice of the Prism" (voice)
2007 – BBC Radio 1 Voice Over – Christmas Idents – Narrator (voice)
2008 – Viking: Battle for Asgard – Narrator (video game)
2008 – Have I Got News for You – Presenter (hosted on 2 May 2008)
2008 – Daily Cooks Challenge – Guest Judge
2008 – The Wrong Door – Train Pirate Leader
2008 – Unbeatable Banzuke – Banzuke Brian, Host/voiceover
2008 – Family Guy – Prince Vultan in the episode "Road to Germany" (voice)
2009 – All Star Mr & Mrs - Himself (with his wife)
2009 – The Gadget Show C5 - Himself, reviewing walking boots
2009 – The Legend of Dick & Dom
2009 – Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon Zeus (voice)
2009 – The Scarifyers: The Curse of the Black Comet - Sir Basil Champion (voice)
2009 – Henry 8.0 (BBC Comedy Extra) – King Henry VIII
2009 – Mr Bojagi – Mr Bojagi
2010 – All Star Family Fortunes – Himself
2011 - QI - Himself

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