Born in Yorkshire, Blessed, 79, trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In 1980 he played Vultan in Flash Gordon, then Old Deuteronomy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats; he has appeared in RSC productions and four of Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare films. From 7 July he directs his wife, Hildegard Neil, and daughter, Rosalind Blessed, in Agatha Christie’s The Hollow at The Mill at Sonning, Reading. He lives in Surrey.
When were you happiest?
When I was six, I went to stay with my uncle George in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. I was at my happiest with my cousin Gary on the beach.
What is your greatest fear?
I have no fear at all.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
The Dalai Lama, for his love and compassion.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Intolerance of other people’s beliefs.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
In 1964, when I was Fancy Smith in Z Cars, I climbed the statue of Helios at BBC Television Centre. I blew up a french letter and put it on his penis. All the heads of television were down below and they switched on the fountain and bloody drenched me.
What is your screensaver?
A photograph of the north face of Mount Everest. I have been there three times, the last time I was only a few feet from the top but I had to rescue a man who was dying.
Which living person do you most despise, and why?
Trump. He is a fart.
What would your super power be?
To heal all diseases.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I love myself: I look like a cross between a yeti and King Kong.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Being a know-it-all.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An astronaut. I have completed cosmonaut training at Space City in Moscow.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Frightening bullies.
What was the best kiss of your life?
Kissing Hildegard Neil. It took greater courage to kiss her on the lips than it did to go up Everest.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Follow your dream. And don’t let the bastards grind you down.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Being an undertaker’s assistant at 15. My father had been injured in the coal mines and I had to leave school early and look after the family.
To whom would you like to say sorry?
I don’t feel sorry for anything I’ve done.
How do you relax?
I meditate with my seven dogs around me.
How often do you have sex?
All I’ll say about sex is, I don’t need that bloody blue pill.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
On Everest in 1993 at 27,000 feet – avalanches were just missing me.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
I’m not going to die!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
That the greatest danger in life is not taking the adventure.
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