7. Brian Blessed
We couldn't make it through the article without mentioning perhaps the most famous scenery-chewer in the UK, whose mere presence in a film is a guarantee of lots and lots of loud and unsubtle overacting, which is without exception entertaining. His most famous role is Prince Vultan in the camp 1980 Flash Gordon film, but Blessed is usually recognisable whether he's dominating a scene in a TV series or doing the voiceover for an advert. He's even been asked to record his voice for a satnav. Blessed was classically trained and pops up in bit roles on TV in the late 60s and early 70s with a far less conspicuous manner, but now if he's hired, it's because the film is in need of his bear-like charm. The clip below is from 1976's I, Claudius, which stars Blessed as Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, who's just finding out that his daughter Julia isn't a saint. It's a little slow to start, but if you bear with it the full force of Brian Blessed's voice is unleashed to terrifying effect. If he ever stars in a film with Pacino, we'll all have to wear earplugs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhsY5XEqTWY