Martin Jarvis was born in 1941 in Cheltleham. He made his first television appearance in 1965 in an episode of “Doctor Who” on BBC. Two years later he played Jon in the hughly popular “The Forsyte Saga” and also starred in “Rings on her Fingers” between 1978 and 1980. He has made appearances in Hollywood on American television series such as “Murder She Wrote” and “Walker”. His films include “Buster”, “Titanic” and “Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War”. He is married to actress Rosalind Ayres.
IMDB entry:
Martin Jarvis OBE is one of Britain’s most versatile leading actors. His distinguished career continues to encompass just about every aspect of the entertainment industry: film, television, theatre, radio and audio recording. He is also the author of two bestselling books: a hilarious autobiography Acting Strangely and a compelling account of his award-winning time on Broadway in 2001: Broadway, Jeeves – The Diary of a Theatrical Adventure, both published by Methuen. In 2010 he starred as Vincent Hogg in a new production of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Cracked in ITV/WGHB’s popular ‘Miss Marple’ series. In 2009, he starred in BBC2’s comedy/drama Taking the Flak, receiving outstanding reviews for his performance as national treasure tv journalist David Bradburn. He stars in the feature film Neander Jin – Return of the Neanderthal Man (US/ Germany co-production, 2010) as Peter Blodnik, network mogul. Alongside his screen and theatre career he is a prolific director of radio drama and, with his wife, actress/director Rosalind Ayres, produces plays and readings for BBC. His award-winning productions include Shadowlands, David Mamet’s Keep Your Pantheon, Ayckbourn’s Man of the Moment and Ian Fleming’s Dr No. He has homes in London and Los Angeles. He trained at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England), where he won the Vanbrugh Award and the Silver Medal. He is an Associate of RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England). He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in the 2000 Queen’s New Years Honors List for his services to drama. In 2006, he appeared at the Santa Fe Arts Festival in New Mexico in Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost with Shirley Maclaine and Ali McGraw. Earlier in the same year, he starred in Honour at Wyndham’s Theatre, London giving an acclaimed performance opposite Dame Diana Rigg. On screen that year he played Leonard in BBC-TV’s modern version of “Much Ado About Nothing” and (in 2005) starred as “Malvolio” in “Twelfth Night” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. He received a Theatre World Award on Broadway in 2001 for his title role performance in “By Jeeves” which he also filmed. His West End, National, Almeida and Donmar theatre appearances include works by Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Michael Frayn, Harold Pinter CH, Somerset Maugham, Sir George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde. He played Jack Worthing opposite Dame Judi Dench’s Lady Bracknell in Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the National Theatre in the 1980s directed by Sir Peter Hall, and premiered Pinter’s “Other Places” in the National’s Cottesloe Theatre. Pinter directed him in the leading role of Hector in Giraudoux’s “The Trojan War Will Not Take Place.” He met Sir Alan Ayckbourn at the National and subsequently went on to star in his “Woman in Mind,” “Henceforward,” “Just Between Ourselves” and “By Jeeves.” His Screen credits include leading roles in the British/Australian mini-series “Bootleg,” “Inspector Lynley Mysteries,” “Lorna Doone,” Frayn’s “Make and Break,” “Ike – The War Years” (with Robert Duvall) and “The Bunker” (with Sir Anthony Hopkins.) He was “Linus” in Sir Richard Eyre’s film, “Absence of War written by Sir David Hare. He has guest starred (very often as villains) in “Inspector Morse,” “Frost,” “Lovejoy,” “Casualty,” “Murder Most Horrid,” “Dr Who,” “Space Above and Beyond,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Walker: Texas Ranger” in the US. He played monstrous Neil Biddle in “Sex ‘N’ Death” and was a memorable television Uriah Heep in “David Copperfield” on British television. First major screen role: ‘Jon’ in the multi-award winning “The Forsyte Saga.” He followed this with many ‘classic serials’ including “The Way of All Flesh (in which he starred as Ernest Pontifex), “Nicholas Nickleby” (title role), “The Moonstone,” “Little Women” and “The Pallisers.” His feature films include the psychological thriller “Framed” (2007), “Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War,” James Cameron’s “Titanic,” “Kid With the X-Ray Eyes,” “Buster,” “The Last Escape,” and “Taste the Blood of Dracula.” His voice can be heard in numerous television animation series as well as feature films including “Flushed Away” and “Eragon.” He has narrated “Peter and the Wolf at the Barbican” and appeared with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra as Narrator for Egmont and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” At the Chichester Festival Theatre he starred with Sir John Gielgud in “Paradise Lost,” with Googie Withers CBE and Susan Hampshire OBE in “The Circle” and with concert pianist Lucy Parham in “Beloved Clara.” Jarvis & Ayres Productions, which he founded with his wife, Rosalind Ayres, has produced many award-winning dramas and readings for BBC Radio, National Public Radio in America and for audio books. Their work includes outstanding interpretations of plays by Sir George Bernard Shaw, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Harold Pinter CH, Michael Frayn, David Mamet, Hugh Whitemore, Robert Shearman, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, and many more. British and American stars who have been associated with J&A productions include, in the UK: Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Diana Rigg, Alfred Molina, Richard E. Grant, Michael York OBE, Richard Briers CBE, Pauline Collins OBE, Janie Dee, Fiona Shaw CBE, Miriam Margolyes OBE, Patricia Hodge, Twiggy Lawson, Natascha McElhone, Martin Freeman, Barry Humphries CBE, Phil Collins and in the US: Brendan Fraser, Elaine Stritch, Teri Garr, Stacy Keach, Shirley Knight, Hector Elizondo, Bruce Davison, Matthew Wolf, Eric Stoltz, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ed Begley Jr, Ed O’Neill and Gregory Peck. Directors of J&A dramas include: David Mamet, Michael Grandage, David Grindley, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Pete Atkin, Rosalind Ayres. Their productions have received Audie and Earphone awards in the US. In September 2006, he directed Teri Garr, Michael York OBE and Alfred Molina in an acclaimed production of “Pack of Lies” for BBC Radio 4. He and Fiona Shaw CBE starred for five years in the popular BBC series “Our Brave Boys.” His Just William audio and radio recordings are world wide best sellers. He was the subject of BBC TV’s This Is Your Life in 1999.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Tricia Giles
The above IMDB entry can also be accessed online here.
Martin Jarvis (born 1941) is a rare “double threat” in British acting: a versatile screen presence who became the undisputed Master of the Spoken Word. A critical analysis of his work reveals a performer of meticulous vocal architecture. While many actors rely on physicality, Jarvis uses his voice as a precision instrument, capable of conjuring entire worlds, social classes, and psychological depths through a single inflection.
In the context of the 1960s/70s British realism you enjoy, Jarvis represents the “intellectual professional”—the man who often stands at the intersection of traditional authority and the shifting social sands of the post-war era.
I. Career Overview: From Stage to “The Voice”
1. The Classical and TV Foundation (1960s)
Jarvis trained at RADA and quickly became a staple of the BBC.
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The Breakout: He gained national fame as Jon Forsyte in the landmark production of The Forsyte Saga(1967). Critically, he was praised for his “youthful, doomed romanticism,” providing the emotional heartbeat for a series that defined “Prestige TV.”
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Doctor Who: In a cult-classic turn, he appeared in “The Web Planet” (1965), showing an early ability to handle highly stylized, imaginative material with total conviction.
2. The Sitcom and Drama Pivot (1970s–1980s)
Jarvis navigated the transition into more contemporary, “Kitchen Sink” adjacent roles.
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Rings on Their Fingers (1978–1980): Opposite Diane Keen, he mastered the “Light Comedy” genre, playing a modern man navigating the complexities of cohabitation and marriage. Analysts note he brought a “Suburban Noir” feel to the sitcom—a sense of the quiet anxieties beneath the middle-class surface.
3. The Audio Revolution (1980s–Present)
Jarvis reinvented himself as the premier voice actor of his generation.
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Just William: His readings of Richmal Crompton’s Just William stories are considered the gold standard of audiobooks. He voices dozens of characters, each distinct and vibrant, without the aid of digital effects.
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Hollywood Character Work: In later years, he became a “go-to” for Hollywood directors (like James Cameron in Titanic), playing high-status officials with a refined, slightly weary dignity.
II. Detailed Critical Analysis
1. The “Sonic” Naturalist
Critically, Jarvis is analyzed for his micro-acting with the voice.
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The Psychology of Sound: In his radio and audio work, Jarvis doesn’t just “do voices”; he performs the internal monologue of the character. Critics note that he can sound “defensive,” “arrogant,” or “vulnerable” in the space of a single syllable. This aligns with the 40s Noir sensibility of subtext—where what is unsaid (or whispered) is more important than what is shouted.
2. The “Reluctant” Authority
In his screen work, Jarvis often plays men of high intelligence who are slightly at odds with their environment.
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The Intellectual Outsider: Unlike the “Icy Authority” of Raymond Huntley, Jarvis brings a “flicker of doubt” to his officials. Analysts point out that he often plays characters who are “too smart for their own comfort,” making them highly relatable to the 60s Realism audience. He didn’t play the “Establishment” as a monolith, but as a collection of thoughtful, flawed individuals.
3. The Deconstruction of “Posh”
Jarvis has spent his career subtly mocking and celebrating the British class system.
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The Satirical Edge: Through his Just William readings and comedic roles, he deconstructed the “English Gentleman” archetype. He found the “Kitchen Sink” absurdity in the upper classes, showing that even the most “proper” characters are driven by petty, human impulses.
Iconic Performance Highlights
| Work | Role | Year | Critical Achievement |
| The Forsyte Saga | Jon Forsyte | 1967 | Defined “Romantic Integrity” for a generation. |
| Just William | All Characters (Voice) | 1980s+ | A masterclass in “Vocal Polyphony” and characterization. |
| Titanic | Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon | 1997 | Brought “Historical Nuance” to a massive Hollywood epic. |
| Rings on Their Fingers | Oliver Wyatt | 1978–80 |