History SelfDemonstrating / BRIANBLESSED

To protect your eyes, try [[Creator/BrianBlessed this page]] instead.

Was also in the first season of ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' as King Richard IV ("Chiswick! Fresh horses!"). Was far less hammy as the ghost in fellow large ham Creator/KennethBranagh's ''[[StealthPun Ham]][[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} let]]'' (he even managed to ''whisper'' loudly) and Signore Antonio in Branagh's ''Film/MuchAdoAboutNothing''. Also, the Duke of Exeter in Branagh's ''Film/{{Henry V|1989}}''. ("What treasure, Uncle?" "Tennis balls, my liege!") Surprisingly, Keanu Reeves claimed in an interview on British radio that during filming of ''Film/MuchAdoAboutNothing'', Blessed befriended him and taught him to meditate. Moviegoers who are sympathetic to Reeves might have thought it more likely [[DullSurprise if it was the other way around]]. Blessed might just be [[GentleGiant calmer than he looks]].

'''APPEARED IN ''Series/{{HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU}}'', IN A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPRA-2OgtE BIZARRE PERFORMANCE]] WHICH WAS POSSIBLY SO GOOD IT BROKE TIME, AGAIN. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. (YOU CAN WATCH THE FULL EPISODES [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZrhrbeM9i8 HERE]] and [[https://youtu.be/yif3FM6PQtw?t=14 HERE]])'''

'''''[++IN LATE 2009, BLESSED PLAYED A TIME-DISPLACED HENRY VIII IN THE SHORT INTERNET SERIES [[https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6FA9FA57E38F0AE6&search_query=henry+ 8.0 HENRY 8.0]].++]'''''

'''APPEARED IN ''Series/{{HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU}}'', IN A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPRA-2OgtE BIZARRE PERFORMANCE]] WHICH WAS POSSIBLY SO GOOD IT BROKE TIME, AGAIN. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. (YOU CAN WATCH THE FULL EPISODES [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZrhrbeM9i8 HERE[[ and [[https://youtu.be/yif3FM6PQtw?t=14 HERE]])'''

'''APPEARED IN ''Series/{{HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU}}'', IN A [[https://youtu.be/yif3FM6PQtw?t=14 BIZARRE PERFORMANCE]] WHICH WAS POSSIBLY SO GOOD IT BROKE TIME. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.'''

'''APPEARED IN ''Series/{{HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU}}'', IN A [[https://youtu.be/yif3FM6PQtw?t=12 BIZARRE PERFORMANCE]] WHICH WAS POSSIBLY SO GOOD IT BROKE TIME. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.'''

'''APPEARED IN ''Series/{{HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU}}'', IN A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5__VFxOI99E&feature=related BIZARRE PERFORMANCE]] WHICH WAS POSSIBLY SO GOOD IT BROKE TIME. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.'''

IT IS SAID BY SOME THAT THE CHARACTER OF DESTRUCTION (A SENTIENT PERSONIFICATION OF DIFFICULT CHANGES WHO HAS QUIT HIS JOB TO BECOME AN ARTIST) FROM ''{{THE SANDMAN}}'' IS BASED ON HIM. SINCE AUTHOR {{Creator/NEIL GAIMAN}} [[WordOfGod IS ONE OF THE ONES WHO SAYS THIS]], IT IS PERHAPS TRUE BUT NO LESS UNLIKELY.

PLAYED HIS BEST AND HIS FAVOURITE ROLE AS THE SYMPATHETIC, TRAGICALLY NAIVE (YET STILL OCCASIONALLY [[{{LARGE HAM}} BOMBASTIC]]) EMPEROR AUGUSTUS IN THE ACCLAIMED BRITISH MINI-SERIES ''[[Series/IClaudius I, CLAVDIVS]]''. ("IS THERE ANYONE IN ROME WHO HAS NOT SLEPT WITH MY DAUGHTER?!!!")

''THIS ROMAN ROLE, AND SEEMINGLY HIS DELIVERY, WERE [[{{REALITY SUBTEXT}} REFERENCED]] WITH A CAMEO IN Film/{{GLADIATOR}}, IN WHICH - DESPITE APPEARING IN ONLY THREE FRAMES OF FILM - BLESSED'S CHARACTERISTIC ROAR CAN BE HEARD TO DEMAND 'KILL HIM!' CLEARLY ABOVE THE DIN OF THE CROWD.''

'''''[+HE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO RAISE A SON WITH AN AMERICAN ACCENT IN ''Film/{{ROBIN HOOD}}: PRINCE OF THIEVES'', AND STILL WAS THE LOUDEST PERSON IN THE FILM, EVEN ON HIS CHARACTER'S ''LAST LINE'': "{{GOD}}!! AND KINNNG RICHAARRD!!! YAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!"+]'''''

'''''[+HE TAUGHT [[SERIES/{{MAC GYVER 1985}} MACGYVER]] ARCHAEOLOGY AS PART OF MAC'S {{EXPANSION PACK PAST}} AS SEEN IN THE ''LOST TREASURE OF ATLANTIS'' TELEMOVIE.+]'''''

'''''[++ THE ANCIENT WELSH HAD A GOD BY THE NAME "BRAN THE BLESSED." ++] [+++ [[{{A GOD AM I}} THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE!!!]] +++] [+++ Theatre/{{HAMLET}} [[HilariousInHindsight THINKS SO!]] +++]'''''[[hottip:*:As stated before, BrianBlessed played as the ghost of Hamlet's father in KennethBranagh's film adaptation of Hamlet. Within the play's lines, Hamlet compares his blood father to Hyperion (A Greek god of light), while he calls his stepfather a satyr (A Greek mythological creature which were hedonistic, lustful, half-man, and half-goat) and an infected ear of corn.]]


'''''[+++ AS SUCH, I WAS CAST AS ODIN IN THE UPCOMING FILM ADAPTATION OF ComicBook/{{THE MIGHTY THOR}}, [[{{WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN}} BUT THEN ANTHONY HOPKINS GOT THE PART INSTEAD]].+++]'''''

'''''[+++ [[{{SKYWARD SCREAM}} HOPKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS!!!]]+++]'''''

Perhaps best known in America as Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen in the ''Film/{{Flash Gordon|1980}}'' movie ("GORDON'S ALIVE?!" "DIIIIIIIIIVVEEEEE!!"), he is widely regarded as one of the [[LargeHam Largest Hams]] in existence. However, he is by nature a stage actor, and his hamming is by design, not by ineptitude or accident. As he has proven on (very) occasional films, he is actually capable of delivering a subtle and understated performance; he just usually doesn't bother (and he is quite aware of why people hire him). His crowning moment of hamness is the ''Series/BlakesSeven'' episode "Cygnus Alpha" in which just about every line he speaks could be replaced with "Did somebody order a [[LargeHam LARGE HAM]]?". He keeps in shape by climbing up large mountains. About the only thing on Earth larger than BRIAN BLESSED is Mount Everest, which he has attempted to scale three times without quite reaching the summit each time. Indeed, he has a story about narrowly avoiding an avalanche on Everest which caused him to, quote, "rage at the mountain". Yes, BRAIN BLESSED bellowed Mt Everest itself into submission.

'''''[+++ HE HAS FRONTED SPACE-ROCK BAND +++]''''' Music/{{Hawkwind}} [+++ as possibly the most apt guest vocalist possible in any phase of the Multiverse to voice their perfomance piece +++]''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pGS4cWbHo Sonic Attack]]'', [+++ in which noise is mobilised to serve as a devastating weapon +++].

->''[[DescribeTopicHere "HELLO, I'M BRIAN BLESSED! AND I'M DOING THIS WEEK'S BBC RADIO FOUR APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE DEAF!!!!"]]''

'''''[+++ HE HAS FRONTED SPACE-ROCK BAND +++]''''' Music/{{Hawkwind}} as possibly the most apt guest vocalist possible in any phase of the Multiverse to voice their perfomance piece''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pGS4cWbHo Sonic Attack]]'', in which noise is mobilised to serve as a devastating weapon.

'''''[+++HE HAS FRONTED SPACE-ROCK BAND+++] Music/{{Hawkwind}} as possibly the most apt guest vocalist possible in any phase of the Multiverse to voice their perfomance piece''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pGS4cWbHo Sonic Attack]]'', in which noise is mobilised to serve as a devastating weapon.

'''''[+++He has fronted space-rock band+++] Music/{{Hawkwind}} as possibly the most apt guest vocalist possible in any phase of the Multiverse to voice their perfomance piece''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8pGS4cWbHo Sonic Attack]]'', in which noise is mobilised to serve as a devastating weapon.