Martin Jarvis

Martin Jarvis OBE (born 4 August 1941) is an English actor. Described by the BBC as "one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile actors", 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 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 South Croydon, and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he won the Vanbrugh Award and the silver medal.

Career

Theatre work 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).

Radio work 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. 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, the 2014 BBC radio adaptation of Ring for Jeeves, and the 2018 BBC radio adaptation of Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves. He performs live dramatic readings of some of the stories in the intermittent radio series Jeeves Live! (2007–2020).

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 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). 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.

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.

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.

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

Voice work 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, the 2015 video game Batman: Arkham Knight, and the 2024 VR game Batman: Arkham Shadow.

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.

Personal life 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",

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role

1964 The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling Little Mildred Episode 25: "The Man Who Was"

Doctor Who Hilio The Web Planet (episodes 4–6) 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"

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"

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"

W. Somerset Maugham Dr. Naughton Series 1; episode 7: "P. and O." Paul Temple Larry Series 1; episode 4: "Missing Penny"

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"

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

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"

Doctor Who Butler / Voice in Reminder Room Invasion of the Dinosaurs (episodes 3–6) 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

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"

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"

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"

Enemy at the Door|Nils Borg Series 2; episode 12: "The Education of Nils Borg" Breakaway|Detective Inspector Sam Harvey Episodes 1–12

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"

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

Doctor Who|Governor Vengeance on Varos|- 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"

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 / Lightning (voice) Television film

Inspector Morse|Randall Rees Series 5; episode 4: "Greeks Bearing Gifts" Murder Most Horrid|Maurice Howling Series 1; episode 2: "The Girl from Ipanema"

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"

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

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 RuddyGiles Havelock Series 11; episode 20: "Another Killing in Cork"Series 12; episode 9: "Deadly Bidding"

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"

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

By Jeeves|Jeeves Television film Micawber|Lord Macefield Episode 2: "Micawber and the Theatre"

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.)

NUMB3RS|Taylor Ashby Series 3; episode 24: "The Janus List" Stargate: Atlantis|Davos Series 4; episode 8: "The Seer"

The Bill|Leslie Downey Series 24; episode 52: "Seize the Day" Underfist: Halloween Bash|Nergal / Police Officer / Jarvis (voice) Television film

Doctors|Dan Blythe Series 11; episode 139: "Worst Critic" Taking the Flak|David Bradburn Episodes 1–7

Agatha Christie's Marple|Vincent Hogg Series 5; episode 4: "The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side" EastEnders|Harvey Freeman 9 episodes Just William|Narrator (voice) Episodes 1–4

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"

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"

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

Other credited appearancesThe War of the Worlds (BBC Audiobooks) (1967) - Ogilvy (voice)Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - The Original Radio Drama (radio series) (Episode: "Fast Friends") (1996) - Barada (voice)Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures - Jubilee (2003) - Nigel Rochester (voice)Muffin the Mule (audiobooks) (2005) - Narrator (voice)Doctor Who: Target Novelisation Audiobooks (audiobooks) - Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion (2007) - Narrator (voice)Dr. No (radio play) (2008) - Ian Fleming (voice)The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas (radio drama) (Episode: "Passage on the Lady Anne") (2009) - Alan Ransome (voice)Goldfinger (radio play) (2010) - Ian Fleming (voice)From Russia with Love (radio play) (2012) - Ian Fleming (voice)On Her Majesty's Secret Service (radio play) (2014) - Ian Fleming (voice)Diamonds Are Forever (radio play) (2015) - Ian Fleming (voice)Thunderball (radio play) (2016) - Ian Fleming (voice)Moonraker (radio play) (2018) - Ian Fleming (voice)Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves: The Radio Play (radio play) (2018–2020) - Jeeves (voice)Live and Let Die (radio play) (2019) - Ian Fleming (voice)Doctor Who: Target Novelisation Audiobooks (audiobooks) - Vengeance on Varos (2019) - Narrator (voice)The Man with the Golden Gun (radio play) (2020) - Ian Fleming (voice)Dust (podcast series) (Episode: "Homecoming: Seat 29F") (2020)Sweeney Todd and the String of Pearls'' (podcast series) (2021) - Sweeney Todd (voice)