Brian Blessed OBE…

..is 80 today so happy birthday. I’ve worked with him many times and he is exactly like you think he’s going to be. The epitome of a larger than life character, he’s constantly “on”, yelling and booming, immersed in the role of Brian Blessed. Entertaining as that is, it can be a little wearing. That said, he is (literally) enormous fun – kind, generous and with the full-throttle energy of a man half his age. He was also, before his headlong rush into self-parody, a very fine Shakespearean actor and a trained opera singer. Hence that immensely powerful voice and his impressive turn as Pavarotti on Stars In Their Eyes. Nessun Dorma, of course means “None Shall Sleep”. And I imagine that’s especially true if you live within 100 yards of Brian Blessed.