Brian Blessed

He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the arts and charity in Surrey, England.

He was forced to leave a touring production of "King Lear" in January 2015 due to heart problems.

He has completed Cosmonaut training and is first reserve to travel to the International Space Station. He plans to travel there in 2014.

Aliens (2012) (as the Necross King); Henry Hugglemonster (2013) (as Eduardo Enormomonster); and Peppa Pig (2004) as Grampy Rabbit.

As a reference to his loud booming voice, York University voted in 2011 to name its newly-built study centre "Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study".

In recent years, the octogenarian has been heard more than seen with voice work in video games, documentaries and such animated TV programs as Kika & Bob (2007) (as Bob); The Amazing World of Gumball (2011) (as Santa Claus); Wizards vs.

More recently, he appeared in Oliver Stone's epic-scale Alexander (2004) and in Kenneth Branagh's film version of William Shakespeare's As You Like It (2006).

He has starred opposite his real-life wife Hildegard Neil in King Lear (1999) (which he also directed) and the short film Mr. Bojagi (2009).

Patrick Stewart suggested Blessed for the role of Admiral Doughtery in Star Trek IX: Insurrection (1998), which went to Anthony Zerbe.

He accidentally knocked out Peter Capaldi while filming The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1997).

His younger brother Alan, seven years his junior, died in 1996 at age 52.

He was considered for the role of Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas (1995).

He befriended Keanu Reeves while filming Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and taught him about meditation.

He was nearly killed when filming his death scene in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).

On film, he has appeared in robust support in several William Shakespeare adaptations, including Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996), Macbeth (1997) and the title role in King Lear (1999), which he also directed.

He was considered for the role of Dr. Bukovsky in the science fiction horror film Lifeforce (1985), which went to Michael Gothard.

He was nominated for the 1981 Olivier Award for 'Best Actor in a Musical' for his stage performance in 'Cats'.

In Flash Gordon (1980), his character, Prince Vultan, says "Who wants to live forever?" during the battle between the Hawkmen and Ming's Imperial Fleet. This later became the title of a Queen song on the soundtrack for Highlander (1986).

He is embarrassed by his guest role in Blake's 7: Cygnus Alpha (1978), as he felt that his performance was too over-the-top.

He befriended Katharine Hepburn while filming The Trojan Women (1971).

In the 1970s, he began appearing more and more on-camera with both classical and contemporary performances.

In costumed television movies, he has played "Porthos" in The Three Musketeers (1966) and The Further Adventures of the Musketeers (1967), "Augustus" in I, Claudius (1976), and "Long John Silver" in Return to Treasure Island (1986) and has been a part of various reenactments including Catherine the Great (1995), Lady Chatterley (1993), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) and Kidnapped (1995).

Stated a favourite film he could rewatch again and again was Sergey Bondarchuk's War and Peace (1965) (War and Peace").

He was considered for many guest roles in Doctor Who (1963): Grugger in "Meglos", Login in "Full Circle", Richard Mace in "The Visitation", Captain Stanley in "Time Flight", Ranulf in "The King's Demons", Vorshak in "Warriors of the Deep", Lytton in "Resurrection of the Daleks", Russell in "Attack of the Cybermen", The Governor in "Vengeance on Varos", Shockeye in "The Two Doctors", Merdeen in "The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet" and Sabalom Glitz in "The Trial of a Time Lord". He would eventually play Lord Ycranos in "The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp". He was also going to make a cameo as his Z Cars (1962) role PC Fancy Smith in Doctor Who: The Feast of Steven (1965), but this was vetoed by the producers. He was originally cast as Odin in Doctor Who: The Girl Who Died (2015), but had to drop out due to illness.

At age 14, he attended the Second World Peace Congress held in Sheffield during November 1950, where he encountered Pablo Picasso, challenging him to draw something. The artist penned a dove of peace, which the young Blessed scorned before sketching a similar bird himself and presenting it to an amused Picasso. Blessed would not accept Picasso's offer of his picture, thereby unwittingly earning his father's wrath.

Boisterous British actor Brian Blessed is known for his hearty, king-sized portrayals on film and television. A giant of a man accompanied by an eloquent wit and booming, operatic voice, Brian was born in 1936 and grew up in the mining village of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire. His father was a miner who wanted a better life for his son; Brian lost three uncles in the pit. At a young age, he displayed an acute talent for acting in school productions, but also had a penchant for boxing, a direction that would be short-lived. Working various blue-collar jobs from undertaker's assistant to plasterer, Brian managed to attend the Bristol Old Vic and was off and running. He has lent his musical talents to several productions - from playing "Old Deuteronomy" in "Cats" to "The Baron" in the more recent "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".