Jack May
ActingJack 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
The Bounty
Prosecuting Captain
Brief Encounter
Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Price (uncredited)
A Night to Remember
Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
The Man Who Would Be King
District Commissioner
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Dr. Schultz
This Happy Breed
Mourner
Trog
Dr. Selbourne
The Doctor and the Devils
Dr Stevens
Two-Way Stretch
Prison Visitor (uncredited)
Filmography — Acting
The Bounty
Prosecuting Captain
Brief Encounter
Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Price (uncredited)
A Night to Remember
Steerage Passenger (uncredited)
The Man Who Would Be King
District Commissioner
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Dr. Schultz
This Happy Breed
Mourner
Trog
Dr. Selbourne
The Doctor and the Devils
Dr Stevens
Two-Way Stretch
Prison Visitor (uncredited)
The Return of the Soldier
Brigadier General
The Blue Lamp
Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)
How I Won the War
Toby
Cat Girl
Richard Johnson
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Shopkeeper
Saraband for Dead Lovers
Reveller
The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
Garkbit (Head Waiter)
The Silent Enemy
Navy Doctor
Trouble in Store
Bus Passenger (uncredited)
The Men of Sherwood Forest
A Prize of Arms
MO
Henry VIII
Lord Chancellor
A Twist of Sand
Inspector Seekert
The Gentle Sex
Postman (uncredited)
Pool of London
Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited)
Solo for Sparrow
Inspector Hudson
There Was a Crooked Man
Police Sergeant
Whinfrey's Last Case
General Chapman
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
Lord Runciman
Johnny Frenchman
Choir Member (uncredited)
The Shooting Party
Sir Harry Stamp
The Gay Dog
Pub Customer
Millions Like Us
Old Man
Stranger in the Family
Evans
Night After Night After Night
Judge Lomax
The Breaking of Colonel Keyser
Watts
Big Zapper
Jeremiah Horn
Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
General Hermack
The Professionals
Edwards
Soap Opera in Stockwell
Detective
The Wind in the Willows
Sea Rat (voice)
The Last Invasion
Friends and Other Lovers
Mr. Franklyn
Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 2
Igor (voice)
Willie's War
Grandfather
Hard Road
Psychiatrist
More Children's Summer Stories
Igor (voice)
Emma's Time
Emma's father
The Traitors
Burton
A Swarm in May
Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster
More Children's Holiday Favourites
Igor (voice)
Deadlock
Postman
Lollipop Children's Favourites - Volume 1
Igor/Giant (voice)
Children's Favourites - Volume 1
Sea Rat (voice)
Behind the Headlines
The Yes Girls
King Reiter
