What words of wisdom have you picked up in your lifetime?
You know, people often say to me – ‘is it not dangerous climbing Mount
Everest?’ and I say to them, the greatest danger in life, is not taking the
adventure. I think there are Everests everywhere, it can be any project,
everyone has an Everest. I believe firmly - and it’s my big message - that
nature doesn’t cheat - that we’ve all got something that nobody else has
got. You’ve got to be allowed to bring that out of yourself and fulfil your
dreams and above all, don’t let the bast**ds grind you down!
Was that acting for you? That was an unusual profession for you to go
into wasn't it - as you are from a mining family?
I’m from a total working-class background, born before the war. My dad
was a coal miner and shifted tonnes of coal and then used to play cricket
for Yorkshire on the weekend. The war years were very adventurous
for me as a child and I always had an adventurous side. I gained a
scholarship to drama school at the Bristol Old Vic and I went on from
there from theatre to television to films.
Is there a character that you would have liked to have played but
never got the chance?
I would have loved to play W.G Grace. The greatest cricketer of all time. I
would have loved that because he looks like me. Twice, we almost made
the series on the BBC, but we couldn’t get the funding for it. There’s
always still a chance I’ll get to play him – in his latter years when he was
at his greatest. I was also offered the role of Professor Challenger many
times but never got the chance to play him. He’s the Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle character who discovers the Lost World and the dinosaurs. I
would have loved to play him as it’s a perfect description of me, so I
hope one day I’ll still get to play Professor Challenger.
Peppa Pig has given you a whole new generation of fans now too as
you’re the voice of Grampy Rabbit in Peppa Pig – how do they react?
Yes! I now go into schools and I say ‘I’m Grampy Rabbit’ and I sing them
a little song, - the sea and the sky and the sky and the sea – and they all
dance to it.
I’ve been very, very lucky. We had wonderful teachers when I was at
school, especially when I went to drama school. It doesn’t matter how
much talent you’ve got; we all need help. I want people to fulfil their own
dreams because there’s no one like you!
Brian Blessed is hosting the Wirral Life Awards at Thornton Manor
on the 8th November 2019.
26 wirrallife.com