profile

    Jack May

    1922-04-23 (102 years old) 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.

    Movies

    poster
    Willie's War
    0 %|Jan 1, 1994
    War, Drama
    poster
    Hard Road
    40 %|Jan 1, 1988
    Comedy, Drama
    poster
    The Doctor and the Devils
    64 %|Oct 4, 1985
    Horror, History
    poster
    The Shooting Party
    66 %|Feb 1, 1985
    Drama, Romance, History
    poster
    The Bounty
    67 %|May 4, 1984
    Action, Drama, History
    poster
    A Swarm in May
    60 %|Dec 26, 1983
    Drama
    poster
    The Return of the Soldier
    62 %|Jan 6, 1983
    Drama
    poster
    The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
    0 %|Mar 4, 1981
    Drama, History, TV Movie
    poster
    The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
    71.56 %|Feb 9, 1981
    Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction
    poster
    Whinfrey's Last Case
    0 %|Oct 10, 1979
    poster
    Henry VIII
    65 %|Feb 25, 1979
    History, Drama, TV Movie
    poster
    The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
    62 %|Oct 24, 1976
    Mystery, Thriller
    poster
    The Man Who Would Be King
    75 %|Dec 3, 1975
    Adventure, Drama
    actor
    Soap Opera in Stockwell
    0 %|Sep 11, 1973
    poster
    Big Zapper
    40 %|Jul 5, 1973
    Action, Comedy
    poster
    Trog
    44 %|Oct 24, 1970
    Horror, Science Fiction
    poster
    Emma's Time
    0 %|May 13, 1970
    TV Movie, Drama
    poster
    Goodbye, Mr. Chips
    67 %|Nov 5, 1969
    Drama, Music, Romance
    poster
    Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
    65 %|Apr 12, 1969
    Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure
    poster
    Night After Night After Night
    50 %|Jan 1, 1969
    Horror, Crime
    poster
    A Twist of Sand
    40 %|Nov 1, 1968
    Adventure
    poster
    How I Won the War
    55 %|Oct 18, 1967
    Comedy, War
    poster
    A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
    60 %|Oct 16, 1966
    Music, Comedy, Romance
    actor
    The Last Invasion
    0 %|Aug 24, 1966
    History
    actor
    Stranger in the Family
    0 %|Oct 18, 1965
    TV Movie
    poster
    A Prize of Arms
    65.63 %|Dec 11, 1962
    Crime, Drama
    poster
    Solo for Sparrow
    0 %|Sep 1, 1962
    Crime
    poster
    The Traitors
    55 %|May 1, 1962
    Thriller
    poster
    There Was a Crooked Man
    61 %|Aug 31, 1960
    Comedy
    poster
    The Professionals
    0 %|Jan 1, 1960
    Crime, Thriller
    poster
    A Night to Remember
    76 %|Jul 3, 1958
    Drama, Action, History
    poster
    The Silent Enemy
    54 %|Mar 4, 1958
    History, War
    poster
    Cat Girl
    45 %|Sep 1, 1957
    Horror
    poster
    The Men of Sherwood Forest
    67 %|Nov 1, 1954
    Adventure, History
    poster
    Pool of London
    64 %|Feb 20, 1951
    Crime, Drama, Thriller
    poster
    The Blue Lamp
    66 %|Jan 19, 1950
    Crime, Thriller, Action
    poster
    Brief Encounter
    77 %|Nov 24, 1945
    Drama, Romance
    poster
    Johnny Frenchman
    60 %|Oct 29, 1945
    Comedy, Drama, War, Romance
    poster
    This Happy Breed
    70.87 %|May 28, 1944
    Drama
    poster
    Deadlock
    50 %|Oct 1, 1943
    Crime
    poster
    Millions Like Us
    53 %|Jun 1, 1943
    Drama, War, Romance
    poster
    The Gentle Sex
    70 %|May 23, 1943
    Comedy, Drama, War

    Series

    poster
    Jeeves and Wooster
    80 %|Apr 22, 1990
    Comedy
    poster
    Count Duckula
    78 %|Sep 6, 1988
    Animation, Kids, Comedy
    poster
    Scarecrow and Mrs. King
    64 %|Oct 3, 1983
    Action & Adventure, Drama, Crime
    actor
    The Cleopatras
    30 %|Jan 19, 1983
    Drama
    poster
    The Agatha Christie Hour
    67.14 %|Sep 7, 1982
    Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Crime
    poster
    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    80 %|Jan 5, 1981
    Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    actor
    Escape
    0 %|Sep 12, 1980
    Drama, War & Politics
    poster
    Shoestring
    68 %|Sep 30, 1979
    Drama
    poster
    BBC Television Shakespeare
    52 %|Dec 3, 1978
    Drama, Comedy
    poster
    A Horseman Riding By
    50 %|Sep 24, 1978
    actor
    Hawkmoor
    0 %|Jan 29, 1978
    Drama
    poster
    All Creatures Great and Small
    76 %|Jan 8, 1978
    Comedy, Drama
    poster
    Target
    65 %|Sep 9, 1977
    Drama, Crime
    poster
    Dawson's Weekly
    0 %|Jun 12, 1975
    Comedy
    actor
    Black and Blue
    60 %|Aug 14, 1973
    Drama, Comedy
    poster
    Van der Valk
    58 %|Sep 13, 1972
    Drama
    poster
    The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
    73 %|Sep 20, 1971
    Crime, Drama, Mystery
    actor
    Brett
    50 %|Apr 26, 1971
    poster
    UFO
    76 %|Sep 16, 1970
    Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure, Documentary
    poster
    The Main Chance
    80 %|Jun 18, 1969
    Drama
    poster
    The Main Chance
    80 %|Jun 18, 1969
    Drama
    poster
    You Can't Win
    0 %|Jul 7, 1966
    poster
    Adam Adamant Lives!
    75 %|Jun 23, 1966
    Drama, Comedy, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    poster
    Softly, Softly
    50 %|Jan 5, 1966
    Drama
    poster
    Dr. Finlay's Casebook
    60 %|Aug 16, 1962
    Drama, Comedy
    poster
    A for Andromeda
    50 %|Oct 3, 1961
    Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    poster
    The Avengers
    77 %|Jan 7, 1961
    Action & Adventure, Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    poster
    An Age of Kings
    47 %|Apr 28, 1960
    Drama
    poster
    No Hiding Place
    37 %|Sep 16, 1959
    Crime, Drama
    poster
    Pride and Prejudice
    0 %|Jan 24, 1958
    Drama
    actor
    Nicholas Nickleby
    0 %|Oct 18, 1957
    poster
    The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
    65 %|Sep 15, 1956
    Action & Adventure
    poster
    The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
    76 %|Sep 28, 1955
    Drama, Action & Adventure