Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
April 23, 1922
Place of Birth:
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Social Media
Jack May
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.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Willie's War | Grandfather |
| 1988 | Hard Road | Psychiatrist |
| 1985 | The Doctor and the Devils | Dr Stevens |
| 1985 | The Shooting Party | Sir Harry Stamp |
| 1984 | The Bounty | Prosecuting Captain |
| 1983 | The Return of the Soldier | Brigadier General |
| 1983 | A Swarm in May | Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster |
| 1981 | The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy | Garkbit (Head Waiter) |
| 1981 | Friends and Other Lovers | Mr. Franklyn |
| 1981 | The Life and Times of David Lloyd George | Lord Runciman |
| 1979 | Whinfrey's Last Case | General Chapman |
| 1979 | Henry VIII | Lord Chancellor |
| 1976 | The Seven-Per-Cent Solution | Dr. Schultz |
| 1975 | The Man Who Would Be King | District Commissioner |
| 1973 | Soap Opera in Stockwell | Detective |
| 1973 | Big Zapper | Jeremiah Horn |
| 1972 | The Breaking of Colonel Keyser | Watts |
| 1971 | The Yes Girls | King Reiter |
| 1970 | Emma's Time | Emma's father |
| 1970 | Trog | Dr. Selbourne |
| 1969 | Night After Night After Night | Judge Lomax |
| 1969 | Goodbye, Mr. Chips | Price (uncredited) |
| 1969 | Doctor Who: The Space Pirates | General Hermack |
| 1968 | A Twist of Sand | Inspector Seekert |
| 1967 | How I Won the War | Toby |
| 1966 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Shopkeeper |
| 1966 | The Last Invasion | |
| 1965 | Stranger in the Family | Evans |
| 1962 | The Traitors | Burton |
| 1962 | A Prize of Arms | MO |
| 1962 | Solo for Sparrow | Inspector Hudson |
| 1960 | The Professionals | Edwards |
| 1960 | There Was a Crooked Man | Police Sergeant |
| 1958 | A Night to Remember | Steerage Passenger (uncredited) |
| 1958 | The Silent Enemy | Navy Doctor |
| 1957 | Cat Girl | Richard Johnson |
| 1954 | The Men of Sherwood Forest | |
| 1954 | The Gay Dog | Pub Customer |
| 1953 | Behind the Headlines | |
| 1951 | Pool of London | Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited) |
| 1950 | The Blue Lamp | Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited) |
| 1948 | Saraband for Dead Lovers | Reveller |
| 1945 | Brief Encounter | Boat Rental Man (uncredited) |
| 1945 | Johnny Frenchman | Choir Member (uncredited) |
| 1944 | This Happy Breed | Mourner |
| 1943 | The Gentle Sex | Postman (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Deadlock | Postman |
| 1943 | Millions Like Us | Old Man |