Biography
Michael Jayston (born Michael A. James) was an English actor and voiceover artist. Born on 29 October 1935 in Nottingham, he trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and began his stage career in the early 1960s with companies including the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He appeared in numerous film and television roles. These included Tsar Nicholas II in the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra, Peter Guillam opposite Alec Guinness in the 1979 BBC series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and the Valeyard in the 1986 Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord. He also played James in the 1996 Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands" and worked extensively as a reader of audiobooks, notably the novels of John le Carré.
Jayston died on 5 February 2024 in Hove, East Sussex, aged 88.
