Jack May
Born: 1922-04-23 in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Died: 1997-09-19
Known For: Acting
Biography
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
1997
1994
- Willie's War as Grandfather
1990
- Jeeves and Wooster as Vicar
- More Children's Holiday Favourites as Igor (voice)
1989
- More Children's Summer Stories as Igor (voice)
- Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 2 as Igor (voice)
- Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 1 as Igor/Giant (voice)
1988
- Count Duckula as Igor (voice)
- Hard Road as Psychiatrist
- Children's Favourites - Volume 1 as Sea Rat (voice)
1985
- The Doctor and the Devils as Dr Stevens
- The Shooting Party as Sir Harry Stamp
1984
- The Bounty as Prosecuting Captain
- The Wind in the Willows as Sea Rat (voice)
1983
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King
- The Return of the Soldier as Brigadier General
- A Swarm in May as Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster
1981
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as Garkbit (Head Waiter)
- The Life and Times of David Lloyd George as Lord Runciman
- The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy as Garkbit (Head Waiter)
- Friends and Other Lovers as Mr. Franklyn
1980
1979
- Henry VIII as Lord Chancellor
- Whinfrey's Last Case as General Chapman
1978
- All Creatures Great and Small as Reverend Henty
- A Horseman Riding By as Lord Gilroy
- Hawkmoor as John Stedman
1977
- Target as Chief Officer
1976
- The Seven-Per-Cent Solution as Dr. Schultz
1975
- Poldark as Ralph Allen Daniell
- The Man Who Would Be King as District Commissioner
- Dawson's Weekly
1973
- Big Zapper as Jeremiah Horn
- Soap Opera in Stockwell as Detective
- Black and Blue as Detective
1972
- Van der Valk as Minister
- The Breaking of Colonel Keyser as Watts
1971
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes as James Ladbroke, Q.C.
- Budgie as Mr. Pratt
- The Ten Commandments as Herbert Ward
- Brett
- The Yes Girls as King Reiter
1970
- UFO as English Delegate
- Trog as Dr. Selbourne
- Emma's Time as Emma's father
1969
- The Main Chance as Derrick Asher
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips as Price (uncredited)
- Doctor Who: The Space Pirates as General Hermack
- Night After Night After Night as Judge Lomax
1968
- A Twist of Sand as Inspector Seekert
1967
- How I Won the War as Toby
1966
1965
- Stranger in the Family as Evans
1964
- The Wednesday Play as Lt. Krov
1963
- Festival as Voice of God (voice)
- The Spread of the Eagle as Casca
1962
- Dr. Finlay's Casebook
- Richard the Lionheart as Knight
- The Traitors as Burton
- Solo for Sparrow as Inspector Hudson
- A Prize of Arms as MO
1961
- The Avengers
- A for Andromeda as Major Quadring
1960
- Danger Man as Third Secretary
- The Professionals as Edwards
- An Age of Kings
- Two-Way Stretch as Prison Visitor (uncredited)
- There Was a Crooked Man as Police Sergeant
1959
1958
- A Night to Remember as Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
- The Silent Enemy as Navy Doctor
- Pride and Prejudice as Mr Collins
1957
- Cat Girl as Richard Johnson
- Nicholas Nickleby
1956
- The Adventures of Sir Lancelot as Caradoc
1955
- The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel as Citizen (uncredited)
1954
- Mark Saber as Newsvendor
- The Men of Sherwood Forest
- The Gay Dog as Pub Customer
1953
- Trouble in Store as Bus Passenger (uncredited)
- Behind the Headlines
1951
- Pool of London as Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited)
1950
- Sunday Night Theatre as David Gottlieb
- The Blue Lamp as Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)
1948
- Saraband for Dead Lovers as Reveller
1945
- Brief Encounter as Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
- Johnny Frenchman as Choir Member (uncredited)
1944
- This Happy Breed as Mourner
1943
- Deadlock as Postman
- Millions Like Us as Old Man
- The Gentle Sex as Postman (uncredited)