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Martin Jarvis (actor)

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Martin Jarvis
Born (1941-08-04) 4 August 1941 (age 83)
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
OccupationActor
Years active1964–present
Spouse
(m. 1974)
Children2

Martin Jarvis OBE (born 4 August 1941) is an English actor.[1] Described by the BBC as "one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile actors",[2] he has had a varied career in theatre, film and television, and is particularly noted for radio acting and voicing audiobooks.

Early life and education

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Jarvis was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, to Denys Harry Jarvis and Margot Lillian Scottney, and grew up in South Norwood and Sanderstead, north Surrey.

Jarvis was educated at Whitgift School, an independent school in Croydon, and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he won the Vanbrugh Award and the silver medal.[3]

Career

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Theatre work

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Jarvis has acted in many stage productions in London and abroad, including alongside Diana Rigg and Natascha McElhone in Joanna Murray-Smith's Honour at London's Wyndham's Theatre in 2006. His other stage work includes Woman in Mind and Henceforward... by Alan Ayckbourn, Other Places by Harold Pinter, Exchange by Michael Frayn, and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (opposite Judi Dench).[2]

Jarvis appeared on Broadway in 2001 as P. G. Wodehouse's character Jeeves in the musical By Jeeves, a performance for which he was awarded a Theatre World Award.[4]

Radio work

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Jarvis has had a long association with the BBC, particularly BBC Radio 4. In the 1980s Michael Frayn's columns for The Guardian and The Observer, described by some as models of the comic essay, were adapted and performed in many voices for BBC Radio 4 by Jarvis. He read a four part adaptation of John Gordon's The Giant Under the Snow in 1981.[5] He performs regularly in radio dramas and readings, both comic and serious. In David Mamet's Mind Your Pantheon he played the actor Strabo. He is known for his long series of readings of Richmal Crompton's Just William stories, which show his characteristic and flexible reading voices. He has also narrated the Billy Bunter series by Frank Richards. As a result of this extensive work, Jarvis has been satirised in the radio show Dead Ringers by Mark Perry, highlighting his seeming ubiquity in Radio 4 programmes.

Jarvis has performed the role of Jeeves in multiple radio dramas based on P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories, including the 1997 L.A. Theatre Works adaptation of The Code of the Woosters,[6] the 2014 BBC radio adaptation of Ring for Jeeves,[7] and the 2018 BBC radio adaptation of Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves.[8] He performs live dramatic readings of some of the stories in the intermittent radio series Jeeves Live! (2007–2020).[9]

In America, Jarvis and his wife Rosalind Ayres perform frequently in audio drama with the L.A. Theater Works and Hollywood Theater of the Ear.

In 2011, Jarvis appeared in a Radio 4 production of Terence Rattigan's In Praise of Love.

Television work

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Jarvis's first television appearance was in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who as Hilio, captain of the butterfly-like Menoptra, in The Web Planet (1965).[10] He returned to Doctor Who as the scientist Dr. Butler in Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974) and as the beleaguered governor of the planet Varos in Vengeance on Varos (1985). He became a familiar face on television when he played Jon in the BBC's landmark 1967 adaptation of The Forsyte Saga, the title role in a BBC serial of Nicholas Nickleby (1968), The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1970) and Uriah Heep in the 1974 BBC version of David Copperfield, and when he was the male lead in the sitcom Rings on Their Fingers (1978–80) with Diane Keen. In 1993, he starred with Ewan McGregor and Rachel Weisz in a BBC adaptation of Scarlet and Black. He also appeared in the 2002 BBC children's miniseries Bootleg.

Jarvis appeared as a guest on 161 episodes of Channel 4's Countdown between 1990 and 2008.[citation needed]

Jarvis's appearances on American television include such series as Murder, She Wrote, Walker, Texas Ranger, and more recently Stargate Atlantis and Numb3rs. He also made a brief appearance as George VI in the ABC television miniseries Ike: The War Years.

Jarvis was the subject of BBC television's This Is Your Life in 1999.[citation needed]

Jarvis appeared in ITV 1's The Bill in July 2008. In March 2010, it was announced that he would appear in the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing journalist Harvey Freeman.[11]

Jarvis appeared in a 2014 episode of Law & Order: UK as Eddie Stewart, a man arrested and charged with murder.[citation needed] In September 2022, Jarvis appeared alongside his wife in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as John Chilton.[12]

Voice work

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Among his work, Jarvis did the voiceovers for the 2010 BBC series Just William and voices the animal characters, as well as Voltaire the wise Weather-Cock (who acts as the narrator), in the 1993 children's television series Fourways Farm. He has also voiced various characters in animated series such as The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and The Life and Times of Juniper Lee. In the former, he inherited the role of the character Nergal from his Titanic co-star David Warner. In 2000, Jarvis voiced John Dread in the TV series Max Steel. He has also voiced all the characters in the children's stop-motion animated series Huxley Pig and narrated "The Tempest" in Shakespeare: The Animated Tales.

Jarvis has also undertaken audiobooks of P. G. Wodehouse's works, and won the Audie Award for these. He is the narrator of the 2011 audiobook of The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. Further work in 2011 includes an audiobook of the Wilbur Smith novel The Leopard Hunts in Darkness. He has also appeared in Jubilee, a Doctor Who spin-off audio drama by Big Finish Productions, alongside his wife. Focus on the Family used Jarvis' voice for two of their audio dramas, Ben-Hur and a Father Gilbert Mystery entitled The Play's the Thing. In film, Jarvis appeared in Disney's 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph as Saitine, one of the video game villains who attends the Bad Anon self-help groups with Ralph (John C. Reilly).

Jarvis has also performed voiceovers for video games, beginning in 2007 as the role of The Chronicler in the Spyro the Dragon video game series. He also provided the voice of Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib in Mass Effect 2 (2010) and Mass Effect 3 (2012). Also in 2011, Jarvis also performed a voice-over part for the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. Jarvis also voiced Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman: Arkham series of video games. He first voiced the character in the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City and returned for the 2013 video game Batman: Arkham Origins, the 2014 DC Universe animated movie Batman: Assault on Arkham, and the 2015 video game Batman: Arkham Knight.[citation needed]

Jarvis read Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities for the Chivers Audio Books production on cassette, later released on CD by Barnes & Noble Audio Classics.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Jarvis married Rosalind Ayres on 23 November 1974 in Ealing; he has two sons by a previous marriage. He met Ayres when they played in Hamlet together; she played Ophelia. Together with his wife, Jarvis runs the radio production company "Jarvis & Ayres Productions",[10] frequently used by BBC Radio 4.

Jarvis was awarded the OBE in 2000. He has also published a book of memoirs titled Acting Strangely: A Funny Kind of Life (ISBN 0413728501 hardback, ISBN 0-413-74550-3 paperback). Jarvis has homes in West Hollywood and London.[13]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 Secrets of a Windmill Girl Mike, Windmill Stage Manager
1970 The Last Escape Lt. Donald Wilcox
Taste the Blood of Dracula Jeremy Secker
1988 Buster Inspector Mitchell
1992 Emily's Ghost Papa
1993 Calliope O'Brien, Dover's Agent Short film noir, co-starring with Phil Collins
1996 Police Story 4: First Strike Australian Group #8 Alongside his real life wife Rosalind Ayres as "Australian Group #1"
1997 Titanic Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon Alongside Rosalind Ayres as Lady Duff-Gordon
1999 The Kid with X-ray Eyes Mr. X Direct-to-video film
2001 Beginner's Luck Old luvvie
2002 Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War JB
2006 Eragon (voice)
2008 Framed Richard
2011 Neander-Jin: The Return of the Neanderthal Man Peter Blodnik
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Birger
2012 Wreck-It Ralph Saitine (voice)
2014 Batman: Assault on Arkham Alfred Pennyworth (voice) Direct-to-video film
United Passions Sir Stanley Rous
2023 Brave the Dark Henry V (voice)

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1964 The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling Little Mildred Episode 25: "The Man Who Was"
1965 Doctor Who Hilio Series 2; episodes 19–21
The Rise and Fall of César Birotteau Maxime de Trailles Episodes 1 & 3: "Chavalier of the Legion" and "Land Near the Madeleine"
ITV Play of the Week Ernest (as a young man) Series 10; episode 50: "The Way of All Flesh"
1966 Thirty-Minute Theatre Chris Series 2; episode 8: "Wife in a Blonde Wig"
1967 Jackanory Himself - Storyteller Series 3; episodes 26–30: "Tom's Midnight Garden: Parts 1–5"
Emergency Ward 10 Alan Brown Series 3; episode 17: "A Matter of Will"
The Forsyte Saga Jolyon 'Jon' Forsyte 8 episodes
Escape Peter Episode 4: "Private Enterprise"
ITV Playhouse David Bryant Series 1; episode 14: "A Whistle and a Funny Hat"
1968 Thirty-Minute Theatre Father Ramon Series 4; episode 10: "The Last Victim"
Nicholas Nickleby Nicholas Nickleby Mini-series; episodes 1–13
Detective Robert Macrae Series 2; episode 11: "Cork on the Water"
1969 W. Somerset Maugham Dr. Naughton Series 1; episode 7: "P. and O."
Paul Temple Larry Series 1; episode 4: "Missing Penny"
1970 BBC Play of the Month Aircraftman Dickinson Series 6; episode 2: "Ross"
Little Women John Brooke Mini-series; episodes 1–9
1971 Thirty-Minute Theatre Lutzke Series 6; episode 27: "Death's Head"
1972 The Moonstone Godfrey Ablewhite Episodes 1–3 & 5
Omnibus Alan Series 5; episode 22: "Actor, I Said"
Crime of Passion Daniel Series 3; episode 2: "Daniel"
ITV Sunday Night Theatre Godfrey Footman Series 5; episode 5: "The Samaritan"
Full House Actor in After Liverpool Episode 4
1973 Jackanory Playhouse Prince Fustian Episode: "The Long-Nosed Princess"
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Philip Marsden Series 2; episode 2: "Five Hundred Carats"
Arthur of the Britons Karn Series 2; episode 1: "The Swordsman"
1974 Doctor Who Butler / Voice in Reminder Room Series 11; episodes 6–10
The Pallisers Frank Greystock Mini-series; episodes 12–14
David Copperfield Uriah Heep Mini-series; episodes 2–5
1974–1987 Jackanory Himself - Storyteller Series 12–25; 47 episodes
1975 Dixon of Dock Green Vic Hallan Series 21; episode 8: "The Hired Man"
Zigger Zagger Les Episodes 1–3
Softly, Softly: Task Force Mr. Davenant Series 7; episode 7: "And with What Measure?"
Jackanory Playhouse Sir Cleges Episode: "The Christmas Cherries"
1976 Killers Alfred Arthur Rouse Episode 5: "The Blazing Car Murder"
Within These Walls Peter Flynn Series 4; episode 2: "The Man with the Magic Touch"
Play from 'A' The Journalist Episode 3: "Initiative Test"
1977 Seven Faces of Woman James Thurley Series 2; episode 6: "She: The Barfly"
BBC2 Play of the Week Klaus Series 1; episode 5: "True Patriot"
The Savage (voice) Television film
Play for Today Sir Fergus / Sir James Series 8; episode 9: "Charades"
1978 The Sunday Drama The Narrator Series 2; episode 4: "The Marrying Kind"
1978–1980 Rings on Their Fingers Oliver Pryde Series 1–3; 20 episodes
1979 Ike King George VI Mini-series; episode 2: "Part II"
1980 Enemy at the Door Nils Borg Series 2; episode 12: "The Education of Nils Borg"
Breakaway Detective Inspector Sam Harvey Episodes 1–12
1981 The Dick Emery Show Series 19; episode 4
The Bunker Johannes Hentschel Television film
Sunday Night Thriller Stone Episodes 6 & 7: "The Business of Murder: Parts 1 & 2"
1984 Mr. Palfrey of Westminster Armitage Series 1; episode 4: "A Present from Leipzig"
Who Dares Wins Series 1; episode 4
Let's Parlez Franglais Episode 8
1985 Doctor Who Governor Series 22; episodes 3 & 4
Juliet Bravo Clive Markham Series 6; episode 5: "Friends and Neighbours"
The Black Tower Wilfred Anstey Mini-series; episodes 1–6
1986 Artists and Models (voice) Episodes 1 & 2: "The Passing Show" and "Slaves of Fashion"
1987 Theatre Night Frank Prosser Series 2; episode 4: "Make and Break"
The Reluctant Dragon Narrator / Boy / Father (voice) Television film
1988 Rumpole of the Bailey Canon Timothy Donkin Series 5; episode 3: "Rumpole and the Age of Miracles"
1989 Chelworth Keith Shedden Mini-series; episodes 1–4
1989–1990 Huxley Pig Narrator (voice) Series 1 & 2: 26 episodes
1990 The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship Sharp Shooter / Lightening (voice) Television film
1991 Inspector Morse Randall Rees Series 5; episode 4: "Greeks Bearing Gifts"
Murder Most Horrid Maurice Howling Series 1; episode 2: "The Girl from Ipanema"
1992 Casualty Bartholomew Clements Series 7; episode 11: "Making Waves"
The Good Guys Charles Longmuir Series 1; episode 2: "Easier for a Camel"
Woof! Dr. Phelps Series 4; episode 4: "At the Hospital"
Boon Malcolm Ashforth Series 7; episode 6: "Message in a Bottle"
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales Narrator (voice) Series 1; episode 2: "The Tempest"
1993 Noel's House Party Himself - Special Guest Series 2; episode 12
Scarlet and Black Monsieur de Renal Episode 1
1994 Lovejoy Adam Bailey Series 6; episode 7: "Breaking the Broker"
1994–1995 Fourways Farm Narrator (voice) Episodes 1–25
1995 Screen Two Linus Frank Series 11; episode 5: "The Absence of War"
The All New Alexei Sayle Show Series 2; episode 3
Murder, She Wrote Cyril Ruddy
Giles Havelock
Series 11; episode 20: "Another Killing in Cork"
Series 12; episode 9: "Deadly Bidding"
1996 A Touch of Frost Harvey Wade Series 4; episode 4: "Fun Times for Swingers"
Jackanory Himself - Storyteller Series 34; episodes 19 & 20: "Fantastic Mr. Fox: Parts 1 & 2"
Space: Above and Beyond Major Cyril MacKendrick Episode 18: "Pearly"
Testament: The Bible in Animation Moses / God (voice) Episode 1: "Moses"
Richie Rich Cadbury the Butler / Bascomb (voice) Episodes 1–6
The Tick Breadmaster (voice) Series 3; episode 7: "Tick vs. Europe"
Walker, Texas Ranger Colin Draper Series 5; episode 12: "The Deadliest Man Alive"
1997 Extreme Ghostbusters (voice) Episode 21: "The Luck of the Irish"
1998 Space Island One Professor Jarvis Series 2; episode 6: "Mayfly"
Supply & Demand Farmlow Mini-series; episodes 3 & 4: "Golden Goose: Parts 1 & 2"
1999 Sex 'n' Death Neil Biddle Television film
2000 Lorna Doone Baron de Whichehalse Mini-series; episodes 1–3
2000–2001 Max Steel John Dread (voice) Series 1 & 2; 8 episodes
2001 By Jeeves Jeeves Television film
Micawber Lord Macefield Episode 2: "Micawber and the Theatre"
2002 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Cowfrey Pitt Series 1; episode 1: "Well Schooled in Murder"
Jackie Chan Adventures (voice) Series 2; episode 34: "The Chan Who Knew Too Much"
Bootleg Mr. Blades Mini-series; episodes 1–3
2003 The Queen's Nose Frank (voice) Series 7; episodes 1–6
2003–2007 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Nergal / Old Man (voice) Series 1–4 & 6; 6 episodes
2004 Doctors Brian Tennant Series 6; episode 30: "Monstrous Regiment"
2005 ShakespeaRe-Told Leonard Mini-series; episode 1: "Much Ado About Nothing"
2005, 2006 The Life and Times of Juniper Lee William / Bortek / King Teddy (voice) Series 1; episode 12, and series 2; episode 9
2006 Sally Lockhart Mysteries: The Ruby in the Smoke Captain Lockhart (voice) Television film (Shown as an episode in Masterpiece series in the U.S.)
2007 NUMB3RS Taylor Ashby Series 3; episode 24: "The Janus List"
Stargate: Atlantis Davos Series 4; episode 8: "The Seer"
2008 The Bill Leslie Downey Series 24; episode 52: "Seize the Day"
Underfist: Halloween Bash Nergal / Police Officer / Jarvis (voice) Television film
2009 Doctors Dan Blythe Series 11; episode 139: "Worst Critic"
Taking the Flak David Bradburn Episodes 1–7
2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Vincent Hogg Series 5; episode 4: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side"
EastEnders Harvey 9 episodes
Just William Narrator (voice) Episodes 1–4
2013 Phil Spector British TV Interviewer Television film
Endeavour Henry Broom Series 1; episode 3: "Rocket"
By Any Means Paul Hollander Mini-series; episode 1
Agatha Christie's Poirot Captain Warburton Series 13; episode 3: "Dead Man's Folly"
2014 Law & Order: UK Eddie Stewart Series 8; episode 4: "Pride"
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Sir Humphry Davy (voice) Documentary series; episode 10: "The Electric Boy"
2017 Casualty Martin Rawlinson Series 31; episode 25: "It Starts with the Shoes"
Election Spy Brian Episodes 1–9
2017: A Year in the Life of a Year Himself Television film
2022 Doctors John Chilton Series 23; episode 80: "Mustn't Grumble"
2025 Father Brown Graham Snow Series 12; episode 4: "The Invisible Friends"

Video games

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Year Title Role (voice) Notes
2003 Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown Sheriff of Nottingham
2006 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Nergal
2007 The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night The Chronicler
2008 The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
2009 The Lord of the Rings: Conquest Gandalf
Dragon Age: Origins Avernus Warden's Keep DLC
2010 Mass Effect 2 Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib
2011 Cars 2: The Video Game Finn McMissile
Batman: Arkham City Alfred Pennyworth
Star Wars: The Old Republic Dorian / Inquisitor Zyn / Lord Alaric
2012 Mass Effect 3 Various characters
Kinect Rush: A Disney–Pixar Adventure Finn McMissile
2013 Star Wars: The Old Republic - Rise of the Hutt Cartel Energy Center Scientist Expansion pack for Star Wars: The Old Republic
Disney Infinity Finn McMissile
Batman: Arkham Origins Alfred Pennyworth Cold, Cold Heart DLC (2014)
2014 Cars: Fast as Lightning Finn McMissile
2015 Batman: Arkham Knight Alfred Pennyworth
2023 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (voice)
2024 Batman: Arkham Shadow Alfred Pennyworth [14]

Other credits

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References

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  1. ^ "Jarvis and Ayres Productions - BCG Pro". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Bootleg - cast biographies". BBC Online. 14 November 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  3. ^ "CV for Martin Jarvis" (PDF). Amanda Howard Associates. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  4. ^ "By Jeeves". Playbill. 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. ^ Radio Times listings 28/12/1981: BBC Radio 4
  6. ^ "The Code of the Woosters". LATW. L.A. Theatre Works. 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Classic Serial: Ring for Jeeves". BBC Radio 4. BBC. 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves". BBC Radio 4. BBC. 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Jeeves - Live!". BBC Radio 4. BBC. 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  10. ^ a b "BBC Drama: Much Ado About Nothing". BBC. 26 April 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2007.
  11. ^ Green, Kris (1 March 2010). "Martin Jarvis joins 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  12. ^ Timblick, Simon. "Doctors spoilers: Are Jimmi Clay and Maeve Ludlow getting MARRIED?". What to Watch. (Future plc). Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Up Close with Martin Jarvis (Part 1) - Mormon Tabernacle Choir". YouTube. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  14. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (20 August 2024). "First Look at Batman VR Game Arkham Shadow Gameplay, Voice Cast Revealed gamescom 2024". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
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