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Jack May

Personal Information

Known ForActing
GenderMale
Born / DiedApr 23, 1922 (Died at 75)
Zodiac Sign♉Taurus
Place of BirthHenley on Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK
Career Span1943 – 1997
Known Credits87 Titles
Official Links
ActingPopularity Score 0.9

Jack May

Total Works

87

48 movies • 39 shows

Avg Rating

6.8 / 10

across rated releases

Box Office

—

worldwide gross

Global Reach

#1

TMDB star index

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.

Signature Roles & Milestones

The Man Who Would Be King
7.5
as District Commissioner
Brief Encounter
7.7
Brief Encounter
1945•movie
as Boat Rental Man (uncredited)
Doctor Who
7.9
Doctor Who
1963•series
as General Nicolai Hermack
The Bounty
6.8
The Bounty
1984•movie
as Prosecuting Captain

Full Filmography & Credits

Showing 87 titles featuring Jack May

The Man Who Would Be King
7.5

as District Commissioner

Brief Encounter
7.7
Brief Encounter
1945•movie

as Boat Rental Man (uncredited)

Doctor Who
7.9
1 eps
Doctor Who
1963•series

as General Nicolai Hermack

The Bounty
6.8
The Bounty
1984•movie

as Prosecuting Captain

A Night to Remember
7.7

as Steerage Passenger (uncredited)

Count Duckula
7.9
65 eps
Count Duckula
1988•series

as Igor (voice)

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
7.3

as Garkbit (Head Waiter)

The Avengers
7.8
1 eps
The Avengers
1961•series
Jeeves and Wooster
8.1
1 eps
Jeeves and Wooster
1990•series

as Vicar

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
6.2

as Dr. Schultz

This Happy Breed
7.1
This Happy Breed
1944•movie

as Mourner

The Blue Lamp
6.6
The Blue Lamp
1950•movie

as Old Man in Crowd (Uncredited)

UFO
7.7
1 eps
UFO
1970•series

as English Delegate

The Doctor and the Devils
6.3

as Dr Stevens

Two-Way Stretch
6.7
Two-Way Stretch
1960•movie

as Prison Visitor (uncredited)

Goodbye, Mr. Chips
6.8
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
1969•movie

as Price (uncredited)

All Creatures Great and Small
7.8
1 eps

as Reverend Henty

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
8.1
1 eps

as Garkbit (Head Waiter)

Scarecrow and Mrs. King
6.7
1 eps
Trog
4.6
Trog
1970•movie

as Dr. Selbourne

How I Won the War
5.7
How I Won the War
1967•movie

as Toby

Pool of London
6.6
Pool of London
1951•movie

as Sailor on the Dunbar (uncredited)

The Shooting Party
6.6
The Shooting Party
1985•movie

as Sir Harry Stamp

Trouble in Store
6.1
Trouble in Store
1953•movie

as Bus Passenger (uncredited)

Danger Man
7.3
1 eps
Danger Man
1960•series

as Third Secretary

Saraband for Dead Lovers
6.6

as Reveller

Cat Girl
4.9
Cat Girl
1957•movie

as Richard Johnson

The Return of the Soldier
6.2

as Brigadier General

The Silent Enemy
5.9
The Silent Enemy
1958•movie

as Navy Doctor

The Agatha Christie Hour
6.8
1 eps

as Colonel Jaggers

Poldark
6.9
2 eps
Poldark
1975•series

as Ralph Allen Daniell

Millions Like Us
5.6
Millions Like Us
1943•movie

as Old Man

The Gentle Sex
7.0
The Gentle Sex
1943•movie

as Postman (uncredited)

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
7.5
1 eps

as James Ladbroke, Q.C.

A Prize of Arms
6.7
A Prize of Arms
1962•movie

as MO

Van der Valk
6.2
1 eps
Van der Valk
1972•series

as Minister

Night After Night After Night
5.6

as Judge Lomax

A Twist of Sand
4.9
A Twist of Sand
1968•movie

as Inspector Seekert

There Was a Crooked Man
6.6

as Police Sergeant

Out of the Unknown
7.1
1 eps
Out of the Unknown
1965•series

as Evans

Doctor Who: The Space Pirates
5.2

as General Hermack

Adam Adamant Lives!
7.5
27 eps
Adam Adamant Lives!
1966•series

as William E. Simms

The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
8.0
1 eps

as Citizen (uncredited)

Budgie
7.2
1 eps
Budgie
1971•series

as Mr. Pratt

Shoestring
7.7
1 eps
Shoestring
1979•series

as Judge

Big Muzzy
8.5
6 eps
Big Muzzy
1987•series

as Muzzy (voice)

The Traitors
5.8
The Traitors
1962•movie

as Burton

Henry VIII
6.6
Henry VIII
1979•movie

as Lord Chancellor

Johnny Frenchman
6.8
Johnny Frenchman
1945•movie

as Choir Member (uncredited)

The Gay Dog
7.0
The Gay Dog
1954•movie

as Pub Customer

The Yes Girls
2.6
The Yes Girls
1971•movie

as King Reiter

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot
7.0
1 eps

as Caradoc

The Wednesday Play
5.2
1 eps
The Wednesday Play
1964•series

as Lt. Krov

Deadlock
5.5
Deadlock
1943•movie

as Postman

Big Zapper
4.0
Big Zapper
1973•movie

as Jeremiah Horn

No Hiding Place
4.8
5 eps
No Hiding Place
1959•series
An Age of Kings
5.2
4 eps
An Age of Kings
1960•series
The Main Chance
8.2
1 eps
The Main Chance
1969•series

as Derrick Asher

Target
7.0
1 eps
Target
1977•series

as Chief Officer

A for Andromeda
5.5
2 eps
A for Andromeda
1961•series

as Major Quadring

Bulman
7.0
1 eps
Bulman
1985•series

as Sir Thomas Boycott

Dr. Finlay's Casebook
6.7
1 eps
The Professionals
5.5
The Professionals
1960•movie

as Edwards

Whinfrey's Last Case
9.5

as General Chapman

Hard Road
6.5
Hard Road
1988•movie

as Psychiatrist

Willie's War
8.5
Willie's War
1994•movie

as Grandfather

A Swarm in May
6.5
A Swarm in May
1983•movie

as Mr. Ardent - the Headmaster

Behind the Headlines
4.5
Dawson's Weekly
7.0
1 eps
Dawson's Weekly
1975•series
Sunday Night Theatre
3.5
1 eps

as David Gottlieb

Mark Saber
8.0
1 eps
Mark Saber
1954•series

as Newsvendor

A Horseman Riding By
7.0
3 eps

as Lord Gilroy

Stranger in the Family
7.0

as Evans

Soap Opera in Stockwell
8.0

as Detective

Without Air
10.0
Without Air
1997•movie
Richard the Lionheart
9.0
1 eps

as Knight

Pride and Prejudice
7.0
2 eps
Pride and Prejudice
1958•series

as Mr Collins

Detective
9.0
1 eps
Detective
1964•series

as Inspector Dubois

Espionage
10.0
1 eps
Espionage
1963•series

as Brent

The Protectors
8.0
1 eps
The Protectors
1964•series

as Hartnell

Emma's Time
Emma's Time
1970•movie

as Emma's father

Solo for Sparrow
Solo for Sparrow
1962•movie

as Inspector Hudson

The Life and Times of David Lloyd George

as Lord Runciman

You Can't Win
1 eps
You Can't Win
1966•series
The Spread of the Eagle
2 eps

as Casca