Michael James (born 29 October 1935), known professionally as Michael Jayston, was an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). He has also made many television appearances, which have included playing the Valeyard in all fourteen episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) and appearing in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands" (1996) as Raquel's father, James.

Filmography

• Remembers…
• 2019From This Day Forward — Him
• 2019The Doctors: The Colin Baker Years
• 2009Albert's Memorial — Albert
• 2008The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
• Murder in Suburbia — Bradley
• 2003Finisterre — Narrator (Voice)
• The Royal — Henry Appleton
• Foyle's War — AC Henry Parkins
• A Dinner of Herbs — Justice Craig
• Holby City — Judge
• 199720,000 Leagues Under the Sea — Admiral Sellings
• Midsomer Murders — Reverend Arthur Gould
• 1996Element of Doubt — Kirk
• 1996First Kid — Original Music Composer
• 99-1 — Chauncy
• 1994Highlander III: The Sorcerer — Jack Donovan
• Outside Edge — Bob Willis
• Heartbeat — Michael Harvey, Gerald Hudson
• The Darling Buds of May — Ernest Bristow
• Cluedo — Colonel Mustard
• Haggard
• A Bit of a Do — Neville Badger
• Press Gang — Colonel X
• 1989Somewhere to Run — Roger Fitzpatrick
• Stay Lucky — Valentine
• 1987Still Crazy Like a Fox — Randall Perry
• The Ruth Rendell Mysteries — Quentin Nightingale
• Casualty — Ian, David Northwick
• 1986Doctor Who: Mindwarp — The Valeyard
• 1986Doctor Who: Terror of the Vervoids — The Valeyard
• 1986Doctor Who: The Mysterious Planet — The Valeyard
• 1986Doctor Who: The Ultimate Foe — The Valeyard
• Worlds Beyond — Drayton Thomas
• C.A.T.S. Eyes
• Time for Murder — Austin Tupp
• Big Deal — Grover
• Sherlock Holmes — The Earl of Rufton
• 1983The Man Who Left His Soul on Film
• 1981From a Far Country — Narrator (voice)
• 1980Dominique — Arnold Craven
• Lady Killers — Frederick Henry Seddon
• 1979Gossip from the Forest — Alfred Maiberling
• Tales of the Unexpected — G.B. Shaw
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy — Peter Guillam
• 1979Zulu Dawn — Col. Crealock
• 1978She Fell Among Thieves — Mansel
• 1978The Last Romantic — James
• BBC2 Play of the Week — Mansel
• 1975King Lear — Edmund
• Quiller — Quiller
• 1974A Coffin for the Bride — Mark Walker
• Churchill's People — Henry, Bishop of Norwich
• 1974Craze — Detective Sgt. Wall
• 1974The Importance of Being Earnest — Jack Worthing
• 1974The Internecine Project — David Baker
• 1973Bequest to the Nation — Capt. Hardy
• Jane Eyre — Mr Rochester
• 1973Ring Once for Death — Roger Masters
• 1973Tales That Witness Madness — Brian (segment "Mel")
• 1973The Homecoming — Teddy
• 1973The Merchant of Venice — Gratiano
• Thriller — Roger Masters, Mark Walker
• 1972Alice's Adventures in Wonderland — Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
• Crown Court — Keith Saunders QC
• 1972Follow Me! — Charles
• The Edwardians — Frederick Henry Royce
• 1971Competition — Jimmy
• 1971Green Julia — Jake
• 1971Nicholas and Alexandra — Nicholas
• Biography — Ludwig van Beethoven
• 1970Cromwell — Henry Ireton
• 1970Macbeth — Macbeth
• 1970Mad Jack
• Solo
• 1970The Hero of My Life — Charles Dickens
• UFO — Russell Stone
• Happy Ever After — Stafford
• ITV Saturday Night Theatre — Jake
• 1968A Midsummer Night's Dream — Demetrius
• Callan
• ITV Playhouse — Gerry Hackett
• BBC Play of the Month — John 'Jack' Worthing, Edmund
• 1965Love's Labour's Lost — Longaville
• The Power Game — Lincoln Dowling
• Detective
• The Wednesday Play — Siegfried Sassoon
• Doctor Who — The Valeyard
• Coronation Street — Judge
• Armchair Theatre — Jimmy

Appearances as themselves (5)

• 2024Alec Guinness: A Class Act — self
• 2022Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to Aqaba — Self
• Doctor Who: Behind the Sofa — Self
• 2016UFO From Earth to the Moon — Self
• Film '72 — Self