Brian Blessed

(Click to Zoom In and Out)

Most Americans got their first introduction to British actor Brian Blessed when he played Prince Vultan in the 1980's campy science fiction motion picture Flash Gordon. Vultan was one of the Hawkmen. These were the winged inhabitants who lived in Sky City which was one of the metropolitan centers on the planet Mongo. Mongo, of course, was ruled by Ming the Merciless, sinisterly played by Max von Sydow. Personally Vultan is quite boisterous and likes wine, women, and song. With Brian's rollicking exuberance, the part fit him perfectly.

Contrasted to Vultan was the studious and serious Prince Barin played by Timothy Dalton. Prince Barin rules over the forest kingdom of Arboria and whose inhabitants don't like the Hawkmen very much. In fact, when we're first introduced to Ming, it's at the ceremony where all his subjects are bringing their yearly tribute. The Hawkmen brought Ming "the fabled ice jewel of Frigia". But soon Prince Barin and the other Forest Dwellers show up and claim the Hawkmen stole the ice jewel from them. Although it looked like an altercation would ensue, this was stopped by Ming's #1 henchman, General Klytus.

Brian's signature booming voice and shattering bang of a laugh (to quote one Nobel Prize winner speaking about another) was perfect for the prank he and Paul Merton played on BBC presenter, Kirsty Young. Kirsty had been invited to appear on Paul's interview/comedy show Room 101. Room 101 is where celebrities talk about their likes and dislikes. If the audience agrees, then some object representing the dislike would drop through a trap door into Room 101.

One of Kirsty's dislikes was people with loud voices. After she elaborated on her reasons, Paul added that she had mentioned Brian as an example. Kirsty replied that she interviewed Brian once on a radio show. Although he was a very nice man, she said, he was very loud.

Paul noted that actors do need loud voices to project, and Kirsty said yes. In the theater that's fine, but not in real life.

"So here he is in real life," Paul announced, "Brian Blessed!"

And out walked Brian, leaving Kirsty quite flustered. She had been set up.

It was all in good fun, of course. Brian demonstrated that he could speak softly by narrating a snooker video. But when the player missed an easy shot, he began booming out his outrage.

Brian didn't just appear in camp science fiction. In the 1993 film version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, he played Antonio. Antonio was the genial brother of Leonato (Richard Briers), the patriarch of the household living in Messina, Sicily, where the action takes place. The title roles were Emma Thompson as Beatrice and Kenneth Branagh as Benedick. Denzel Washington appeared as Don Pedro, who good naturedly vied for Beatrice's affections. Keanu Reeves was the bad guy, Don John.

Yet for all his work on television and in films - almost 200 credited appearances - anyone who remembers Brian remembers him from Flash Gordon. Most everyone who saw the movie took it for what it was, a film based on the 1930's comic strip and not to be taken too seriously. The film, though, was updated for modern audiences. Before he ended up on the planet Mongo, Flash - played by Sam Jones - was quarterback for the New York Jets. We wonder if in the earlier comics and movies, Flash played for the New York Giants.

Being produced in the early 1980's, Flash Gordon was one of the last of the pre-digital special effects movies. And yet it still holds up pretty well. As is often the case for good movies that didn't get great reviews, today Flash Gordon has become something of a sci-fi cult classic.

Among Brian's many other activities is supporting animal rights (he has many pets) and mountaineering. Although he never made it to the top, he has attempted ascents of Mount Everest. In addition to the usual hazards, one of his expeditions encountered a particular difficulty.

As Bryan told it, he, David Hempleman-Adams, and David Hoyland were camping at about 26,000 feet¹. They were all crammed into a tent and were going for the summit the next day.

During the night David Hempleman-Adams suddenly said he needed to take a much needed respite to relieve a feeling of billiousness (although that's not quite how he put it). So he went out of the tent, tied himself off (it was a 5000 foot drop straight down), achieved his goal, and returned to the tent.

Back inside, they all decided to have a cup of tea. So as they sat there holding their brews, suddenly David Hoyland sniffed and said he smelled a terrible odor of, well, he smelled a terrible odor. He then looked over and sitting on David Hempleman-Adams's shoulder was the, well, the agent of the phenomenon. It seems after David had finished his chore, the wind had carried it up in the air, and it had fallen back and landed on his shoulder. Brian's telling of the story reduced Alan Duncan, MP, who was also a guest on the show, literally to tears of laughter.

References

Flash Gordon, Sam Jones (actor), Melody Anderson (actor), Max von Sydow (actor), Topol (actor), Ornella Muti (actor), Timothy Dalton (actor), Brian Blessed (actor), Peter Wyngarde (actor), Mike Hodges (director), Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay), Michael Allin (adapter), Alex Raymond (comic strip), Gilbert Taylor (cinematography), Dino De Laurentiis (producer), Starling Films, 1980, Internet Movie Data Base.

"Brian Blessed", Internet Movie Data Base.

Room 101, Paul Merton (presenter), Kirsty Young (guest), Brian Blessed (special guest), Season 9, Episode 1, September 13, 2004, BBC, Internet Movie Data Base.

Have I Got News for You, Brian Blessed (guest host), Paul Merton (team captain/panelist), Ian Hislop (team captain/panelist), Marcus Brigstocke (guest), Season 35, Episode 3, May 2, 2008, BBC, Internet Movie Data Base.

The Double Helix, John D. Watson, Doubleday, 1968.