Click on a name below to take you to that page
Michael Jayston
Michael Jayston (birth name Michael James) was born in West Bridgford, Nottingham, in 1935. His father died when he was only a year old. Michael was educated at the Roman Catholic Beckett School, and later at Nottingham University. After National Service in Germany, he trained to be an accountant with the National Coal Board where he was well known as a cricketer - playing for both Gedling Colliery and Bestwood cricket clubs. He even played alongside Notts & England bowler Bill Voce. But Michael had also caught the acting bug, at Nottingham's Co-operative Arts Theatre, before gaining a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
After drama school came repertory theatre, firstly in Bangor, Northern Ireland (1961), then Salisbury (1962-63), the Bristol Old Vic (1963-65) and the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon, where he remained until 1969. During these early years as a classical stage actor his roles ranged from Corporal Green in The Amorous Prawn (1961) to Laertes in Hamlet (1966) Bertram in All's Well that Ends Well (1968). Other notable roles with the RSC were Lenny in Pinter's The Homecoming (1967) and Henry II in Anouilh's play Becket (1972). As Michael Jayston says, "I prefer stage work because it is different every night", and his stage successes over the last 40 years include Peter Schaffer's Equus (1974 & 77); Noel Coward's Private Lives (1980); Easy Virtue (1999); The Marquise (2004) and The Last Confession (2007) with David Suchet and Richard O'Callaghan. In 2010, Michael Jayston played the part of Reginald Paget in Ronald Harwood's play Quartet. Co-starring Timothy West, Gwen Taylor and Susannah York, it is set in a retirement home where four former opera stars relive their former glory days and perform the Quartet from Verdi's opera Rigoletto. This brilliant play toured a number of UK theatres including Nottingham's Theatre Royal where I met Michael afterwards, when he signed my programme and we had a chat about Edinburgh, where I had a part in The Importance of Being Ernest.
Away from the theatre, Michael had done a lot of TV work, with an early recurring role, as Lincoln Dowling, coming in the series The Power Game (1969). He took the lead role of Mr Rochester in a BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre (1973), played the title role in the spy series Quiller (1974 - 75) and the role of Peter Guillam opposite Alec Guinness in another spy series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979). The series Flesh and Blood (1980 - 82) follows the Brassington family business through a troubled year, with Jayston appearing as Ross Brassington alongside Bill Fraser and Thora Hird. Other TV series included A Bit of a Do (1989); Haggard (1990); Cluedo (1991); The Darling Buds of May (1993) and the Nottingham-filmed cricket series Outside Edge (1994 - 96).
A famous 1986 TV role for Michael was the 14-episode Doctor Who story 'The Trial of a Time Lord', where he played the Valeyard, prosecuting counsel in the trial of the sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). His title is said to mean ‘Doctor of Law’, but is a made-up word with a bogus definition, hinting that The Valeyard is really the personification of all that was evil within the Doctor.
Michael Jayston's Shakespearian roles on TV include Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968); Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (1973) a role he also played opposite Laurence Olivier in the National Theatre's film of the play; Edmund in King Lear (1975) and the title role in Thames Television's Macbeth (1988).
Michael Jayston has also made guest appearances in long running series like Eastenders, The Bill, Heartbeat, Foyle's War and, most recently, Emmerdale where he played a millionaire alcoholic Donald De Souza.
His TV movie roles range from Charles Dickens in The Hero of my Life (1970) and Frederick Henry Royce in Mr Rolls and Mr Royce (1972) to Admiral Sellings in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) and Albert in the supernatural comedy Albert's Memorial (2009) with David Jason and David Warner.
Michael Jayston's big-screen roles, mostly dating from the 1970s, have been few but substantial, and mainly historical. Most famous is his fine portrayal of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in the lavishly produced epic Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) with its fantastic costumes and locations. The cast includes Janet Suzman as Alexandra, and a supporting cast that includes Timothy West, Tom Baker, Laurence Olivier and Michael Redgrave. The film won two Oscars and was nominated for four more. This film came a year after Jayston had played Henry Ireton in the star-studded, Oscar-winning Cromwell (1970). In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972), he played Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson); in the Lord Nelson film Bequest to the Nation (1973) he was Captain Hardy and, in the prequel to the classic film Zulu, he appeared as Col. Crealock in Zulu Dawn (1979). He was once considered for the role of James Bond during re-negotiations for Roger Moore's services.
Michael Jayston is one of our finest voice-over artists with over 80 audio books to his name - mostly full length novels by P.D.James, John le Carre and Alexander Kent. In 2004 he narrated a radio version of Geoffrey Household's thriller Rogue Male and in 2009, he read an abridged version of the sequel Rogue Justice, both for Radio 7.
Michael has also appeared as characters in many radio adaptations including as James Bond in You Only Live Twice (1971) and as the Valeyard in He Jests at Scars (2003). During the late 1970s, his was the voice of the Anadin commercials with their famous opening line, "tense, nervous headache...?"
When Tom Baker was asked to name his favourite 'voice' of all time, he replied,
"Michael Jayston. He has this wonderful warmth, so you want to believe in what he says. It's the great, but dangerous, quality of seduction, which is why he works all the time."
In 1965, he married his first wife, actress Lynn Farleigh but they divorced in 1970. He had two sons, Tom & Ben with his second wife, Heather Sneddon and they also adopted Li-an, a Vietnamese child . That marriage, however, also ended in divorce in 1977. In 1978, he married Elizabeth Smithson and moved to Brighton where he still resides. They have two children, Richard and Katy. His interest in cricket remains as strong as ever, and he plays for Rottingdean Cricket Club, of which he is their president.
After drama school came repertory theatre, firstly in Bangor, Northern Ireland (1961), then Salisbury (1962-63), the Bristol Old Vic (1963-65) and the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon, where he remained until 1969. During these early years as a classical stage actor his roles ranged from Corporal Green in The Amorous Prawn (1961) to Laertes in Hamlet (1966) Bertram in All's Well that Ends Well (1968). Other notable roles with the RSC were Lenny in Pinter's The Homecoming (1967) and Henry II in Anouilh's play Becket (1972). As Michael Jayston says, "I prefer stage work because it is different every night", and his stage successes over the last 40 years include Peter Schaffer's Equus (1974 & 77); Noel Coward's Private Lives (1980); Easy Virtue (1999); The Marquise (2004) and The Last Confession (2007) with David Suchet and Richard O'Callaghan. In 2010, Michael Jayston played the part of Reginald Paget in Ronald Harwood's play Quartet. Co-starring Timothy West, Gwen Taylor and Susannah York, it is set in a retirement home where four former opera stars relive their former glory days and perform the Quartet from Verdi's opera Rigoletto. This brilliant play toured a number of UK theatres including Nottingham's Theatre Royal where I met Michael afterwards, when he signed my programme and we had a chat about Edinburgh, where I had a part in The Importance of Being Ernest.
Away from the theatre, Michael had done a lot of TV work, with an early recurring role, as Lincoln Dowling, coming in the series The Power Game (1969). He took the lead role of Mr Rochester in a BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre (1973), played the title role in the spy series Quiller (1974 - 75) and the role of Peter Guillam opposite Alec Guinness in another spy series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979). The series Flesh and Blood (1980 - 82) follows the Brassington family business through a troubled year, with Jayston appearing as Ross Brassington alongside Bill Fraser and Thora Hird. Other TV series included A Bit of a Do (1989); Haggard (1990); Cluedo (1991); The Darling Buds of May (1993) and the Nottingham-filmed cricket series Outside Edge (1994 - 96).
A famous 1986 TV role for Michael was the 14-episode Doctor Who story 'The Trial of a Time Lord', where he played the Valeyard, prosecuting counsel in the trial of the sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). His title is said to mean ‘Doctor of Law’, but is a made-up word with a bogus definition, hinting that The Valeyard is really the personification of all that was evil within the Doctor.
Michael Jayston's Shakespearian roles on TV include Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968); Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (1973) a role he also played opposite Laurence Olivier in the National Theatre's film of the play; Edmund in King Lear (1975) and the title role in Thames Television's Macbeth (1988).
Michael Jayston has also made guest appearances in long running series like Eastenders, The Bill, Heartbeat, Foyle's War and, most recently, Emmerdale where he played a millionaire alcoholic Donald De Souza.
His TV movie roles range from Charles Dickens in The Hero of my Life (1970) and Frederick Henry Royce in Mr Rolls and Mr Royce (1972) to Admiral Sellings in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) and Albert in the supernatural comedy Albert's Memorial (2009) with David Jason and David Warner.
Michael Jayston's big-screen roles, mostly dating from the 1970s, have been few but substantial, and mainly historical. Most famous is his fine portrayal of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in the lavishly produced epic Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) with its fantastic costumes and locations. The cast includes Janet Suzman as Alexandra, and a supporting cast that includes Timothy West, Tom Baker, Laurence Olivier and Michael Redgrave. The film won two Oscars and was nominated for four more. This film came a year after Jayston had played Henry Ireton in the star-studded, Oscar-winning Cromwell (1970). In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972), he played Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson); in the Lord Nelson film Bequest to the Nation (1973) he was Captain Hardy and, in the prequel to the classic film Zulu, he appeared as Col. Crealock in Zulu Dawn (1979). He was once considered for the role of James Bond during re-negotiations for Roger Moore's services.
Michael Jayston is one of our finest voice-over artists with over 80 audio books to his name - mostly full length novels by P.D.James, John le Carre and Alexander Kent. In 2004 he narrated a radio version of Geoffrey Household's thriller Rogue Male and in 2009, he read an abridged version of the sequel Rogue Justice, both for Radio 7.
Michael has also appeared as characters in many radio adaptations including as James Bond in You Only Live Twice (1971) and as the Valeyard in He Jests at Scars (2003). During the late 1970s, his was the voice of the Anadin commercials with their famous opening line, "tense, nervous headache...?"
When Tom Baker was asked to name his favourite 'voice' of all time, he replied,
"Michael Jayston. He has this wonderful warmth, so you want to believe in what he says. It's the great, but dangerous, quality of seduction, which is why he works all the time."
In 1965, he married his first wife, actress Lynn Farleigh but they divorced in 1970. He had two sons, Tom & Ben with his second wife, Heather Sneddon and they also adopted Li-an, a Vietnamese child . That marriage, however, also ended in divorce in 1977. In 1978, he married Elizabeth Smithson and moved to Brighton where he still resides. They have two children, Richard and Katy. His interest in cricket remains as strong as ever, and he plays for Rottingdean Cricket Club, of which he is their president.
Michael Jayston (birth name Michael James) was born in West Bridgford, Nottingham, in 1935. His father died when he was only a yearold
I first met Michael Jayston at a Doctor Who convention at Cheshunt in March 2010, and then again after I saw him in Ronald Harwood's play Quartet at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, in July 2010. Afterwards, he signed my programme and we had a chat about Edinburgh, where I had a part in The Importance of Being Ernest.
year old. Michael was educated at the Roman Catholic Becket School, and later at Nottingham University. After National Service in Germany, he trained to be an accountant with the National Coal Board where he was well known as a cricketer - playing for both Gedling Colliery and Bestwood cricket clubs. He even played alongside Notts & England bowler
Michael Jayston at the
Becket School
Michael Jayston
After drama school came repertory theatre, firstly in Bangor, Northern Ireland (1961), then Salisbury (1962-63), the Bristol Old Vic (1963-65) and the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon, with which he remained until 1969. During these early years as a classical stage actor, his roles ranged from Corporal Green
Michael Jayston & Petula Clark in
The Sound of Music
Michael Jayston in Easy Virtue
As Mirabell in Congreve's
The Way of the World
Michael Jayston & David Suchet in
The Last Confession
In 2010, Michael Jayston played the part of Reginald Paget in Ronald Harwood's play Quartet. Co-starring Timothy West, Gwen Taylor and Susannah York, it is set in a retirement home where four former opera stars relive their
of Music and Drama.
bowler Bill Voce. Michael had also caught the 'acting bug', at Nottingham
Nottingham's Co-operative Arts Theatre, before gaining a scholarship to the Guildhall School ofMusic
Gwen Taylor & Michael Jayston in Quartet
their former glory days and perform the Quartet from Verdi's opera Rigoletto. This brilliant play toured a number of UK theatres including Nottingham's Theatre Royal.
As Reginald Paget in Quartet
Michael Jayston as Lincoln Dowling in
The Power Game
Michael Jayston & Sorcha Cusack in
Jane Eyre
Michael Jayston as Lewis Carroll in
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Michael Jayston as Peter Guillam in
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Away from the theatre, Michael has done a lot of TV work, with an early recurring role, as Lincoln Dowling, coming in the series The Power Game (1969). He took the lead role of MrRo
Mr Rochester in a BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre (1973), played the title role in the spy series Quiller (1974 - 75) and later, the part of Peter Guillam with Alec Guinness in
Seven episodes of the spy series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979).
The series Flesh and Blood (1980 - 1982) follows the Brassington family business through a troubled year, with Jayston appearing as Ross Brassington alongside Bill Fraser and Thora Hird.O
As Col. Mustard in Cluedo
Michael Jayston in an episode of UFO
With Timothy Spaull in Outside Edge
With Philip Franks & Catherine Zeta-Jones in
The Darling Buds of May
Hird. Other TV series included A Bit of a Do (1989); Haggard (1990); Cluedo (1991); The Darling Buds of May (1993) and the Nottingham-filmed cricket series Outside Edgee
Edge (1994 - 96).
A famous 1986 TV role for Michael was the 14-episode Doctor Who story 'The Trial ofa
of a Time Lord', where he played The Valeyard, prosecuting counsel in the trial of the sixth Doctor (Colin Baker). His title is said to mean ‘Doctor of Law’, but is a made-up word with aa
a bogus definition, hinting that The Valeyard
Michael Jayston in Doctor Who
Valeyard is really the personification of all that was evil within the Doctor.
Signed photo showing Michael Jayston as the Valeyard
Michael Jayston & Diana Rigg in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Michael Jayston & Laurence Olivier in The Merchant of Venice
Michael Jayston's Shakespearian roles on TV include Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968); Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (1973) a role he also played
played opposite Laurence Olivier in the National Theatre's film of the play; Edmund in King Lear (1975) and the title role in a Thames Television production of Macbeth (1988).
He has also made a number of guest appearances in long running series like Eastenders, The Bill, Heartbeat, Foyle's War and, most recently, Emmerdale.
With Emma Davies in Emmerdale
Michael Jayston in The Bill
As AC Henry Perkins in Foyles War
With Barry Nelson in Ring Once for Death
Michael Jayston as Mark Walker in
A Coffin for the Bride
Michael Jayston's roles in TVm
Michael Jayston & Malcolm MacDowell in
She Fell Among Thieves
TV movies range from Charles Dickens in The Hero of my Life (1970) and Frederick Henry Royce in Mr Rolls and Mr Royce (1972) to Admiral Sellings in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) and Albert in the supernatural comedy Albert's Memorial (2009) with David Jason & David Warner.
Robert Powell & Michael Jayston as
Mr Rolls and Mr Royce
As Frederick Henry Royce in
Mr Rolls and Mr Royce
Michael Jayston & Judith Hoersch in
Albert's Memorial
Michael Jayston in The Disappearance
With David Jason in Only Fools and Horses
Michael Jayston's big-screen roles, mostly dating from the 1970s, have been few but substantial, and mainly historical. Most famous is his fine portrayal of Tsar NicholasII
Nicholas II of Russia in the lavishly produced epic Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) with its fantastic costumes and locations. The cast includes Janet Suzman as Alexandra, and a supporting cast that includes Timothy West, Tom Baker, Lau
Baker, Laurence Olivier and Michael Redgrave. The film won two Oscars andwasnomin
As Henry Ireton in Cromwell
and was nominated for four more. This film came a year after Jayston had played Henry Ireton in the star-studded, Oscar-winning Cromwell (1970). In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Wonderland (1972), he played Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson); in the Lord Nelson film Bequest to the Nation (1973) he was Captain Hardy and, in the prequel to Zulu, he appeared as Colonel Crealock in Zulu Dawn (1979).).
Peter Finch & Michael Jayston in
Bequest to the Nation
Other film roles around this time included Teddy in The Homecoming
Michael Jayston as Tsar Nicholas II in
Nicholas and Alexandra
As Colonal Crealock in Zulu Dawn
As Teddy in The Homecoming
As Det. Sgt. Wall in Craze
Homecoming (1973); David Baker in the well-made British thriller
thriller The Internecine Project (1974) and Det. Sgt. Wall in Craze (1974). He was once considered for the role of James Bond during re-negotiations for Roger Moore's services.
Michael Jayston is one of our finest voice-over artists with over 80 audio books to his name - mostly full length novels by P.D.James, John le Carre and Alexander Kent. In 2004 he narrated a radio version of Geoffrey Household's thriller Rogue Male and in 2009, he read an abridged version of the sequel Rogue Justice, both for Radio 7.
Michael has also appeared as characters in many radio adaptations including as James Bond in You Only Live Twice (1971) and as The Valeyard in He Jests at Scars (2003). When Tom Baker was asked to name his favourite 'voice' of all time, he replied
One of Michael Jayston's full-length
audio books
replied, "Michael Jayston. He has this wonderful warmth, so you want to believe in what he says. It's the great, but dangerous, quality of seduction, which is why he works all the time."
Lynn Farleigh
In 1965, he married his first wife, actress Lynn Farleigh but they divorced in 1970. He had two sons, Tom & Ben with his second wife, Heather Sneddon and they also adopted Li-an, a Vietnamese child. That marriage
Michael with Heather Sneddon
marriage, however, also ended in divorce in 1977. In 1978, he married Elizabeth Smithson and moved to Brighton where he still resides
resides. They have two children
children, Richard and Katy. His interest in cricket remains, and he plays for Rottingdean Cricket Club, of which he is their president.
Michael Jayston has signed my programme for Quartet
of Lady Frances Fairfax
Green in The Amorous Prawn (1961) to Laertes in Hamlet (1966) and Bertram in All's Well that Ends Well (1968). Other notable roleswi
theatre roles were Lenny in Pinter's The Homecoming (1967) and Henry II in Anouilh's play Becket (1972). As Michael Jayston says, "I prefer stage work because it is different every night", and his stage successes over the last 40 years include Peter Schaffer's Equus (1974 & 77) and three Noel Coward plays Private Lives (1980); Easy Virtue (1999) and The Marquise (2004). In Roger Crane's The Last Con
Confession (2007), a modern play concerning
concerning suspicions surrounding the death of Pope John Paul I, he played the Confessor alongside David Suchet.