Brian Blessed pumps iron for three hours a day and can bench press over 300lb – at the age of 85.
The booming-voiced legend, who was in Z Cars and Doctor Who, is keeping his strength up as he wants to fly to the Red Planet one day.
He said: “I would love to go to Mars.
“I am a fully trained cosmonaut, and my biggest love in life is space.
“I’ve done space training with the Russians at Star City in Moscow, and on Reunion Island in the Pacific with Nasa.
Brian, who at 68 became the oldest person to trek to the North Pole, said this week: “Each day I do about three hours of weights, and I can bench press over 300lb.
(Image: Getty Images)
“I devour Bulgarian yoghurt, which is sour but gives me great energy.”
The actor, who was Prince Vultan in 1980’s hit movie Flash Gordon, also told how a polar bear stuck its head into his tent during his 1999 Arctic adventure.
He said: “I was the oldest man to trek to the North Pole on foot when I was 68.
(Image: Getty Images)
“It was really severe, 70 degrees below zero with a dangerous wind chill.
“Suddenly, the tent ripped and there was a great polar bear sticking his head in. It could have torn us apart in seconds.
“No animal likes to be hit on the nose – not that I go around hurting animals, I love animals – but I hit that bear right on its nose and it ran off.”
(Image: Getty Images)
In 1978 the actor married actress Hildegarde Neil, and the couple live in Windlesham, Surrey.
They share a daughter, Rosalind, who is an actress.
The family own several dogs and Brian is a patron of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
