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Brian Blessed was offered the lead role :)
jxbrenna
Posts: 977 Forum Member
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http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s7/doctor-who/news/a588416/brian-blessed-i-turned-down-lead-doctor-who-role-in-the-60s.html
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i think he would have been a good Dr Especially with that deep booming voice of his
Link above
i think he would have been a good Dr
Especially with that deep booming voice of his 0
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This i what surprised me
He was a good actor, just seen a Lovejoy episode where he played a dodgy antique dealer, very impressive stuff.
He touted himself for the role when Peter Davison left, but JNT had already zeroed in on Colin
For me, he's a good actor, and certainly eccentric, but I'm really not sure he'd be a good fit for this particular role.
I went to see his one man show a couple of years ago and I can only say, if you get the chance, go. He has had an amazing life and tells some wonderful stories and is also very,very funny!!
I also saw him recently in an old Sherlock Holmes, where he played a violent drunk. The scene where he changed, almost one sentence, from a standard loud drunk to a quite spoken but incredibly threatening character, was quite creepy. , and reminded me of just how good an actor he is.
For those who only know him from Flash Gordon, might I recommend the animated series The Big Knights (readily available on DVD/BluRay), in which he provides the voice of Sir Morris, "not the finest swordsman in the world, but the MOST ENTHUSIASTIC!" (this is wonderful)?
[If you look at the original Flash Gordon series, Brian Blessed's character Vultan is played by someone who could easily have been BB's old dad. The scene where he attempts to win the love of his fair captive by "entertaining" her with novelty hand-shadows is unlike anything before or since in SF cinema.]
I admire Brian Blessed for what he can do, but I do feel that the role of Doctor Who (whatever the era) would not have suited him.
Re-watched Blake's 7 on DVD a few months ago, and he was in one episode. Also saw the 70s version of Survivors on DVD earlier this year too. He appeared there as well, as a sort of villain. Towards the end of the episode, his character was shot in the back with a crossbow. They managed to get the arrow out, but he died less than five minutes later from losing too much blood.
Obviously, with a virus that has affected most of the Earth, you wouldn't have any Hospitals, or Ambulance people, so it's no wonder he died. No phones either, so you couldn't dial 999.
I imagin he'd have been very similar to Tom Baker. Larger than life, big voice, loads of charisma and in the 60's a rather dishy looking man.
How could anybody just know him from Flash Gordon? Wasn't he in Raiders of the Lost Ark?
I've never seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I have seen Blessed in Flash Gordon, and no amount of medication can take the memory away from me. I was really referring back to adams66's posting, but eliding the mention of the first series of Blackadder, as possibly less than cogent for the international membership of this forum.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes! Very true!
"DAVROS! YOU AND YOUR DALEKS ARE FINISHED!", boomed the Doctor as he pointed his sonic device.
You're getting him confused with John Rhys Davies, pal. Easy mistake to make.
Out of everyone still alive from Nu and Classic Who who I haven't met yet, out of them all, The Brian Blessed is the one person I want to meet. But he's never done a convention I've been able to attend.
In fact, the one person I'd love to meet out of everyone in the world.
I genuinely just adore the mad old bugger. I think he's great.
He would be great to meet. I saw part of a TV show with him & Steven Fry swearing loudly as they put their hands in ice water. Proving a point about swearing and pain relief or something. Magnificent
But he would have been a bad choice for the Doc.