About Simon Jones
Born 1950. Simon Jones is a British and Irish actor, television actor, film actor, comedian, stage actor and design engineer.
Simon Jones (born 27 July 1950) is an English actor. He is best known for originating the role of Arthur Dent, protagonist of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He also played the role of Donald Shellhammer in Miracle on 34th Street, appeared in Brideshead Revisited (1981) as Lord Brideshead, and as King George V in the film Downton Abbey (2019), and as Bannister in The Gilded Age.
Early life Jones was born 27 July 1950, in Charlton Park, Wiltshire, England. Jones studied at King's College, Taunton, before going up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, at age 25. in which he played the Earl of Brideshead, or 'Bridey', heir to the Marquess of Marchmain, and the second series of Blackadder (1986), In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, as Max, Benefactors (1985),
In 2003, Jones reprised his role as Arthur Dent in a new radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
In 2012 and 2013, he returned to the UK, to star in a national stage tour of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Live!
In addition to his work as an actor, Jones is also a co-artistic director at New York Off-Broadway company The Actors Company Theatre (TACT). On 20 December 2019 his wife, Nancy Lewis, died in Manhattan of leukaemia aged 76.
Partial filmography Sources:
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980) – Joachim The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981, TV Series) – Arthur Dent Reds (1981) – Louise Bryant's Colleague in France (uncredited) Giro City (1982) – Henderson Privates on Parade (1982) – Sergeant Eric Young-Love Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) – Chadwick / Jeremy Portland-Smythe Brazil (1985) – Arrest Official Blackadder II (1986, TV Series) – Sir Walter Raleigh Club Paradise (1986) – Toby Prooth Newhart (1987, TV Series) – Dr. Miles Rangel Green Card (1990) – Party Guest American Friends (1991) – Anderson For Love or Money (1993) – Albert Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – Donald Shellhammer 12 Monkeys (1995) – Zoologist The Devil's Own (1997) – Harry Sloan Guru in Seven (1998) – Removal man 1 The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) – The Accountant (uncredited) Benjamin Franklin (2002, TV mini-series documentary) – Thomas Penn The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) – Ghostly Image Griffin & Phoenix (2006) – Professor Spectropia (2006) – The Duck The Search for Simon (2013) – The Man in the Hat The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Radio Show Live (2016) – Arthur Dent Downton Abbey (2019) – George V The Gilded Age (2022–25, TV series) – Bannister
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Important facts
People in Simon Jones's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Simon Jones's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Simon Jones?
British actor (born 1950)
When was Simon Jones born?
Simon Jones was born on 27 July 1950 in Charlton Park.
What is Simon Jones's occupation?
Simon Jones is an actor, television actor, film actor, comedian, stage actor and design engineer.
What nationality is Simon Jones?
Simon Jones is British and Irish.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Simon Jones (actor)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Simon Jones. https://biography.guide/simon-jones-actor/
MLA: "Simon Jones." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/simon-jones-actor/.
Chicago: "Simon Jones." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/simon-jones-actor/.
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