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Michael Jayston
ACTOR

Michael Jayston

Known for Doctor Who · Midsomer Murders · Sherlock Holmes

Michael James (born 29 October 1935), known professionally as Michael Jayston, was an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). He has also made many television appearances, which have included playing the Valeyard in all fourteen episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) and appearing in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands" (1996) as Raquel's…

Snapshot 2026-10-16

Born
Oct 29, 1935
Died
Feb 5, 2024
Birthplace
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK
Known For
Acting

Biography

Michael James (born 29 October 1935), known professionally as Michael Jayston, was an English actor. He played Nicholas II of Russia in the film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). He has also made many television appearances, which have included playing the Valeyard in all fourteen episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Trial of a Time Lord (1986) and appearing in the Only Fools and Horses episode "Time on Our Hands" (1996) as Raquel's father, James.

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Known For

TVDoctor Who
Doctor WhoThe Valeyard · 1963
★ 7.9
TVMidsomer Murders
Midsomer MurdersReverend Arthur Gould · 1997
★ 7.5
TVSherlock Holmes
Sherlock HolmesThe Earl of Rufton · 1984
★ 8.2
TVCoronation Street
Coronation StreetJudge · 1960
★ 5.3
TVFoyle's War
Foyle's WarAC Henry Parkins · 2002
★ 7.9
TVCasualty
CasualtyIan · 1986
★ 6.2
MOVIENicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and AlexandraNicholas · 1971
★ 7.0
TVUFO
UFORussell Stone · 1970
★ 7.7

Filmography

Movies

Love's Labour's LostLongaville
1965
A Midsummer Night's DreamDemetrius
1968
CromwellHenry Ireton
1970
MacbethMacbeth
1970
Mad Jack
1970
The Hero of My LifeCharles Dickens
1970
CompetitionJimmy
1971
GJ
Green JuliaJake
1971
Nicholas and AlexandraNicholas
1971
Alice's Adventures in WonderlandLewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
1972
Follow Me!Charles
1972
Bequest to the NationCapt. Hardy
1973
Ring Once for DeathRoger Masters
1973
Tales That Witness MadnessBrian (segment "Mel")
1973
The HomecomingTeddy
1973
The Merchant of VeniceGratiano
1973
A Coffin for the BrideMark Walker
1974
CrazeDetective Sgt. Wall
1974
TI
The Importance of Being EarnestJack Worthing
1974
The Internecine ProjectDavid Baker
1974
King LearEdmund
1975
She Fell Among ThievesMansel
1978
TL
The Last RomanticJames
1978
Gossip from the ForestAlfred Maiberling
1979
Zulu DawnCol. Crealock
1979
DominiqueArnold Craven
1980
From a Far CountryNarrator (voice)
1981
The Man Who Left His Soul on Film
1983
Doctor Who: MindwarpThe Valeyard
1986
Doctor Who: Terror of the VervoidsThe Valeyard
1986
Doctor Who: The Mysterious PlanetThe Valeyard
1986
Doctor Who: The Ultimate FoeThe Valeyard
1986
SC
Still Crazy Like a FoxRandall Perry
1987
ST
Somewhere to RunRoger Fitzpatrick
1989
Highlander III: The SorcererJack Donovan
1994
Element of DoubtKirk
1996
First KidOriginal Music Composer
1996
20,000 Leagues Under the SeaAdmiral Sellings
1997
FinisterreNarrator (Voice)
2003
The Making of The Trial of a Time Lord
2008
Albert's MemorialAlbert
2009
UFO From Earth to the MoonSelf
2016
From This Day ForwardHim
2019
The Doctors: The Colin Baker Years
2019
Peter O'Toole: Along the Sky Road to AqabaSelf
2022
Alec Guinness: A Class Actself
2024

Television

Armchair TheatreJimmy · 1 eps
1956
Coronation StreetJudge · 1 eps
1960
Doctor WhoThe Valeyard · 14 eps
1963
Detective1 eps
1964
The Wednesday PlaySiegfried Sassoon · 1 eps
1964
BBC Play of the MonthJohn 'Jack' Worthing · 1 eps
1965
BBC Play of the MonthEdmund · 1 eps
1965
The Power GameLincoln Dowling · 13 eps
1965
Callan1 eps
1967
ITV PlayhouseGerry Hackett · 1 eps
1967
HE
Happy Ever AfterStafford · 1 eps
1969
ITV Saturday Night TheatreJake · 1 eps
1969
B
BiographyLudwig van Beethoven · 1 eps
1970
S
Solo1 eps
1970
UFORussell Stone · 1 eps
1970
F'
Film '72Self · 1 eps
1971
Crown CourtKeith Saunders QC · 3 eps
1972
The EdwardiansFrederick Henry Royce · 1 eps
1972
Jane EyreMr Rochester · 5 eps
1973
ThrillerRoger Masters · 1 eps
1973
ThrillerMark Walker · 1 eps
1973
Churchill's PeopleHenry, Bishop of Norwich · 1 eps
1974
QuillerQuiller · 13 eps
1975
BBC2 Play of the WeekMansel · 1 eps
1977
Tales of the UnexpectedG.B. Shaw · 1 eps
1979
Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyPeter Guillam · 7 eps
1979
Lady KillersFrederick Henry Seddon · 1 eps
1980
Big DealGrover · 3 eps
1984
Sherlock HolmesThe Earl of Rufton · 1 eps
1984
C.A.T.S. Eyes1 eps
1985
Time for MurderAustin Tupp · 1 eps
1985
CasualtyIan · 1 eps
1986
CasualtyDavid Northwick · 1 eps
1986
Worlds BeyondDrayton Thomas · 1 eps
1986
The Ruth Rendell MysteriesQuentin Nightingale · 3 eps
1987
A Bit of a DoNeville Badger · 12 eps
1989
Press GangColonel X · 1 eps
1989
Stay LuckyValentine · 1 eps
1989
CluedoColonel Mustard · 6 eps
1990
H
Haggard14 eps
1990
The Darling Buds of MayErnest Bristow · 4 eps
1991
HeartbeatMichael Harvey · 2 eps
1992
HeartbeatGerald Hudson · 1 eps
1992
99-1Chauncy · 1 eps
1994
Outside EdgeBob Willis · 15 eps
1994
Midsomer MurdersReverend Arthur Gould · 1 eps
1997
Holby CityJudge · 1 eps
1999
A Dinner of HerbsJustice Craig · 3 eps
2000
Foyle's WarAC Henry Parkins · 2 eps
2002
The RoyalHenry Appleton · 3 eps
2003
Murder in SuburbiaBradley · 1 eps
2004
Doctor Who: Behind the SofaSelf · 4 eps
2018
Remembers…1 eps
2022

Photos

Michael Jayston photo
Michael Jayston photo
Michael Jayston photo
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