Brian Blessed is an actor from England who played Rugor Nass, also known as Boss, in the motion picture Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Furthermore, he played Prince Vultan in the 1980 hit movie Flash Gordon.
Blessed became well-known due to his portrayal of PC "Fancy" Smith in the BBC police drama Z-Cars, which was broadcast for a long time. In the 1976 television series I, Claudius, he took on the role of Augustus, who was the Roman Emperor. Blessed was a cast member in the 1988 miniseries War and Remembrance, which also featured Kenneth Colley. He is also recognized for his role as King Yrcanos in the Doctor Who story Mindwarp (after being considered for the part of the Second Doctor) and for having a recurring part as the fictional King Richard IV in the first series of Blackadder.
Blessed is famous for his booming voice and larger-than-life personality, making him a well-known voice actor in animated works, such as Peppa Pig and The Amazing World of Gumball on television, and Tarzan by Disney in film.
George Lucas, the director, said to Blessed during a conversation that The Phantom Menace needed the actor's energy and that he had considered casting Blessed as a Jedi, but he was "much too powerful" for the role.
- Boss Nass to Celebrate with Star Wars Fans on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- " The Horse's Mouth " — Star Wars Insider 45
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Animating The Phantom Menace with ILM's Rob Coleman on StarWars.com (backup link)