Simon Jones

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