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Brian Blessed: 'I’m quite a loner. I don’t have many actor friends. Kenneth Branagh is the only one'
In this excerpt from his autobiography, Absolute Pandemonium, Brian Blessed recalls his long friendship with Sir Kenneth Branagh
Here I am, with my old friend Kenneth Branagh, in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1984 production of Henry V, directed by Adrian Noble.
I played the Duke of Exeter, the terrifying power behind the throne; Ken played the title role, even though he was only 24. Ken and I got on like a house on fire from the word go.
We both had wild imaginations and huge passion, and I detected his astonishing intellect. Even at that young age, he had a deep understanding of Shakespeare. When, a few years later, Ken asked if I would reprise my role in his film adaptation of Henry V, I was delighted.
He assembled a wonderful cast, which included Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Ian Holm, Richard Briers, Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine McEwan and Emma Thompson.
Even though we had this fabulous cast, the film was made on a shoestring. After a few weeks, we heard that the movie was in trouble because one of the backers had withdrawn.
Then a Yorkshire paint manufacturer came to see us with a view to investing. He didn’t know Paul, Ken or Judi from Adam, but when he spotted me, he said, ‘It’s Fancy Smith from Z Cars! What do you think, Brian?
Should I put money in this?’ I told him Ken was a genius and he stumped up the money there and then – and all in cash, from two suitcases stowed away in his car.
Ken later cast me in three more Shakespeare films he directed. I am so grateful to him. He once said I am the quietest and stillest person he has ever met – and that surprised people.
My larger-than-life persona is part of me, but my biggest love is silence. I’m quite a loner. I don’t have many actor friends – never have. Ken is the only one.
We live about a mile apart in Surrey and meet in a cabin in my garden and meditate. We tease one another to death and I have him exploding with laughter. He also loves the fact that I’ve climbed Mount Everest, space-trained in Moscow as a cosmonaut and have a great love of adventure.
Ken and I have a father-son relationship – I’m the son and he’s the father. I have always felt at least 30 years younger than him.
Absolute Pandemonium: My Louder Than Life Story by Brian Blessed (Pan, £8.99). He will appear at Hay Festival on June 5. Agatha Christie’s The Hollow, directed by Blessed, runs at The Mill, Sonning, from July 7 until September 3