Sir Tony Robinson almost missed out on iconic Blackadder role

21 June 2023

Sir Tony Robinson almost missed out on ‘Blackadder’.

Sir Tony Robinson almost missed out on Blackadder

The 76-year-old actor had many obstacles getting in the way of him shooting to fame on the beloved BBC historical comedy - which this year is celebrating its 40th anniversary - including industrial action and a chance the series wouldn't even get made.

He told the Metro newspaper’s ‘60 Seconds' column: “I rehearsed for six days with these guys and thought, ‘How lucky am I to have got this part?’ Then the producer came in, and there had been a lighting strike [by BBC staff], so they couldn’t do the show.

"So I went off and had a great job at the National Theatre. And then, when it was remounted, I wasn’t available to play Baldrick, so someone else did.

"Then, more months went by and eventually, there was this telephone call out of the blue from the producer saying, ‘Hey, we have the series,’ and I said, ‘That’s wonderful, will you congratulate Rowan [Atkinson] for me? But he said, ‘Remember you are going to be playing Baldrick!’ "

Tony insisted he got cast because it “was such a rubbish part” but he wanted the role so he could be involved with people with backgrounds like co-stars Rowan Atkinson, 68, Stephen Fry, 65, and Hugh Laurie, 64, and co-creator Richard Curtis, 66, who penned the show with comic Ben Elton, 64.

He said: “I was only given the part because it was such a rubbish part, and all their mates had turned it down.

"I had always wanted to be associated with what I called ‘Oxbridge television', with the bright young lads but thought there was no chance because I hadn’t been to university - I left school at 16.

"I got the script and thought it was great because I would be with these people, but as for the script itself, I thought it was rubbish.”

The ‘Walking Through History’ star detailed an encounter he had with some drunken fans in the immediate aftermath of a breakup which came "out of the blue".

Tony recalled: “As I walked out of the restaurant, the last table had about ten people who were all p*****, and they went, ‘Heyyyy, Baldrick! Come down and sit, how are you doing, what is Rowan Atkinson really like?’ and I just sat there with my heart bleeding among this storm of enthusiasm and then just staggered off into the night.”