Jack May
Actor
Born April 23, 1922 in 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
Without Air
Willie's War
Grandfather
Jeeves and Wooster
Vicar
Count Duckula
Igor (voice)
Hard Road
Psychiatrist
Big Muzzy
Muzzy (voice)
The Doctor and the Devils
Dr Stevens
Bulman
Sir Thomas Boycott
The Shooting Party
Sir Harry Stamp
The Bounty
Prosecuting Captain
A Swarm in May
Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster
Scarecrow and Mrs. King
The Return of the Soldier
Brigadier General
The Agatha Christie Hour
Colonel Jaggers
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
Lord Runciman
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
Garkbit (Head Waiter)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Garkbit (Head Waiter)
Whinfrey's Last Case
General Chapman
Shoestring
Judge
Henry VIII
Lord Chancellor
A Horseman Riding By
Lord Gilroy
All Creatures Great and Small
Reverend Henty
Target
Chief Officer
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Dr. Schultz
The Man Who Would Be King
District Commissioner
Poldark
Ralph Allen Daniell
Dawson's Weekly
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Detective
Big Zapper
Jeremiah Horn
Van der Valk
Minister
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
James Ladbroke, Q.C.
Budgie
Mr. Pratt
The Yes Girls
King Reiter
Trog
Dr. Selbourne
UFO
English Delegate
Emma's Time
Emma's father
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Price (uncredited)
The Main Chance
Derrick Asher
Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
General Hermack
Night After Night After Night
Judge Lomax
A Twist of Sand
Inspector Seekert
How I Won the War
Toby
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Shopkeeper
You Can't Win
Adam Adamant Lives!
William E. Simms
Stranger in the Family
Evans
Out of the Unknown
Evans
The Wednesday Play
Lt. Krov
Detective
Inspector Dubois
Doctor Who
General Nicolai Hermack
Espionage
Brent
The Spread of the Eagle
Casca
A Prize of Arms
MO
Solo for Sparrow
Inspector Hudson
Dr. Finlay's Casebook
Richard the Lionheart
Knight
The Traitors
Burton
A for Andromeda
Major Quadring
The Avengers
Two-Way Stretch
Prison Visitor (uncredited)
Danger Man
Third Secretary
There Was a Crooked Man
Police Sergeant
An Age of Kings
The Professionals
Edwards
No Hiding Place
A Night to Remember
Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
The Silent Enemy
Navy Doctor
Pride and Prejudice
Mr Collins
Cat Girl
Richard Johnson
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
Caradoc
The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
Citizen (uncredited)
The Men of Sherwood Forest
Mark Saber
Newsvendor
The Gay Dog
Pub Customer
Trouble in Store
Bus Passenger (uncredited)
Behind the Headlines
Pool of London
Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited)
The Blue Lamp
Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)
Sunday Night Theatre
David Gottlieb
Saraband for Dead Lovers
Reveller
Brief Encounter
Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
Johnny Frenchman
Choir Member (uncredited)
This Happy Breed
Mourner
Deadlock
Postman
Millions Like Us
Old Man
The Gentle Sex
Postman (uncredited)