Jack May
Acting
Born April 23, 1922, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Jack May was a mellifluous-voiced actor best known for playing butlers and establishment figures, often representing Britain's interests in far-flung corners of the empire. With regards the former, he memorably played William E. Simms, former music hall artise turned manservant to Gerald Harper's titular swashbuckling adventurer in '60s TV cult classic Adam Adamant Lives! as well as providing the voice of Igor, the long-suffering valet in Cosgrove Hall's 1980s animation Count Duckula. His film credits included the district commissioner in 1975's The Man Who Would Be King and the prosecuting naval attorney in the remake of The Bounty (1984). For many, May was Nelson Gabriel 'the most disreputable character in Ambridge' in BBC Radio 4's long-running soap The Archers. May took the role of the shady rogue, later antique dealer and wine bar owner, in 1952 and continued to play him right up until the year of his death, 1997. This 45 year stint made May, at the time, the fourth-longest serving soap opera star in the world. He died at the age of 75, on 19 September 1997, survived by his wife, the actress Petra Davies, his daughter Henrietta, and son David.
Filmography
- 1997Without Air
- 1994Willie's War — Grandfather
- Jeeves and Wooster — Vicar
- 1990More Children's Holiday Favourites — Igor (voice)
- 1989Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 1 — Igor/Giant (voice)
- 1989Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 2 — Igor (voice)
- 1989More Children's Summer Stories — Igor (voice)
- 1988Children's Favourites - Volume 1 — Sea Rat (voice)
- Count Duckula — Igor (voice)
- 1988Hard Road — Psychiatrist
- Big Muzzy — Muzzy (voice)
- Bulman — Sir Thomas Boycott
- 1985The Doctor and the Devils — Dr Stevens
- 1985The Shooting Party — Sir Harry Stamp
- 1984The Bounty — Prosecuting Captain
- 1983A Swarm in May — Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King
- 1983The Return of the Soldier — Brigadier General
- The Agatha Christie Hour — Colonel Jaggers
- 1981Friends and Other Lovers — Mr. Franklyn
- 1981The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy — Garkbit (Head Waiter)
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Garkbit (Head Waiter)
- 1981The Life and Times of David Lloyd George — Lord Runciman
- Escape
- 1979Henry VIII — Lord Chancellor
- Shoestring — Judge
- 1979Whinfrey's Last Case — General Chapman
- A Horseman Riding By — Lord Gilroy
- All Creatures Great and Small — Reverend Henty
- Hawkmoor — John Stedman
- Target — Chief Officer
- The Children of the New Forest — Justice Booth
- 1976The Seven-Per-Cent Solution — Dr. Schultz
- Dawson's Weekly
- Poldark — Ralph Allen Daniell
- 1975The Man Who Would Be King — District Commissioner
- Away from It All — Graham
- 1973Big Zapper — Jeremiah Horn
- Black and Blue — Detective
- 1973Soap Opera in Stockwell — Detective
- 1972The Breaking of Colonel Keyser — Watts
- Van der Valk — Minister
- Brett — Mason
- Budgie — Mr. Pratt
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes — James Ladbroke, Q.C.
- The Ten Commandments — Herbert Ward
- 1971The Yes Girls — King Reiter
- 1970Emma's Time — Emma's father
- 1970Trog — Dr. Selbourne
- UFO — English Delegate
- 1969Doctor Who: The Space Pirates — General Hermack
- 1969Goodbye, Mr. Chips — Price (uncredited)
- 1969Night After Night After Night — Judge Lomax
- The Main Chance — Derrick Asher, Harry Turner
- 1968A Twist of Sand — Inspector Seekert
- 1967How I Won the War — Toby
- 1966A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum — Shopkeeper
- Adam Adamant Lives! — William E. Simms
- 1966The Last Invasion
- You Can't Win
- Out of the Unknown — Evans
- Six Shades of Black — Gregory Hawk
- 1965Stranger in the Family — Evans
- Detective — Inspector Dubois
- The Protectors — Hartnell
- The Wednesday Play — Lt. Krov
- Doctor Who — General Nicolai Hermack
- Espionage — Brent
- Festival — Voice of God (voice)
- 1963In Search of Sierra Nine — Father Gabriel
- The Spread of the Eagle — Casca
- 1962A Prize of Arms — MO
- Dr. Finlay's Casebook
- Richard the Lionheart — Knight
- 1962Solo for Sparrow — Inspector Hudson
- 1962The Traitors — Burton
- A for Andromeda — Major Quadring
- The Avengers
- An Age of Kings — Duke of York
- Danger Man — Third Secretary
- 1960The Professionals — Edwards
- 1960There Was a Crooked Man — Police Sergeant
- 1960Two-Way Stretch — Prison Visitor (uncredited)
- No Hiding Place — Major Westbrook
- 1958A Night to Remember — Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
- Pride and Prejudice — Mr Collins
- 1958The Silent Enemy — Navy Doctor
- 1957Cat Girl — Richard Johnson
- Nicholas Nickleby — Lord Frederick Verisopht
- The Adventures of Sir Lancelot — Caradoc
- The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel — Citizen (uncredited)
- Mark Saber — Newsvendor
- 1954The Gay Dog — Pub Customer
- 1954The Men of Sherwood Forest
- 1953Behind the Headlines
- 1953Trouble in Store — Bus Passenger (uncredited)
- 1951Pool of London — Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited)
- Sunday Night Theatre — David Gottlieb, Burton
- 1950The Blue Lamp — Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)
- 1948Saraband for Dead Lovers — Reveller
- 1945Brief Encounter — Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
- 1945Johnny Frenchman — Choir Member (uncredited)
- 1944This Happy Breed — Mourner
- 1943Deadlock — Postman
- 1943Millions Like Us — Old Man
- 1943The Gentle Sex — Postman (uncredited)