Brian Blessed

Brian Blessed is an English actor who first came to fame as PC 'Fancy' Smith in the BBC TV police drama series Z Cars.

Blessed is generally recognised as a Shakespearean actor and has appeared in four of the five Shakespeare films directed by Kenneth Branagh; as The Duke of Exeter in Henry V, Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing, The Ghost of Hamlet's Father in Hamlet and the dual role of Duke Frederick and Duke Senior in As You Like It. He also appeared as Mad King Richard IV in the first series of Blackadder in a parody of the stereotypical Shakespearean Nobleman. Other roles have emphasized his comedic abilities, notably Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon (1980) and Spiro in the BBC adaptation of My Family and Other Animals (1987).

In 2002, Blessed originated the role of Baron Bombhurst for the stage musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , for which he received tremendous acclaim.