Simon Jones (actor)

Last updated

Simon Jones
Born (1950-07-27) 27 July 1950 (age 74)
Charlton Park, Wiltshire, England
Alma mater
OccupationActor
Years active1976–present
Spouse
Nancy Lewis
​
(died 2019)​
Children1

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 (1994), appeared in Brideshead Revisited as Lord Brideshead, and as King George V in the film Downton Abbey .

Contents

Early life

Jones was born 27 July 1950, [1] in Charlton Park, Wiltshire, England. [2] When young, his family moved to Broad Town near Wootton Bassett (before it was Royal), travelling often to visit elderly aunts in Salisbury. [3] Jones studied at King's College, Taunton, before going up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, at age 25. [3]

Career

Jones appeared in various television series, including Brideshead Revisited , [4] in which he played the Earl of Brideshead, or 'Bridey', heir to the Marquess of Marchmain, [2] and the second series of Blackadder (1986), [5] playing Sir Walter Raleigh in the episode "Potato". [5] His films have included Club Paradise (1986), [2] Privates on Parade (1982), [2] Miracle on 34th Street [2] and The Devil's Own (1997). [1]

Jones was studying at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Footlights and met Douglas Adams. [1] This led to him being cast in Out of the Trees and later The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . [1] The latter project, a radio broadcast from 1978, would be the first of Jones's several portrayals of Arthur Dent; Adams claimed to Jones that he wrote the part of Dent with him in mind. [6] In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life , [1] Jones had a minor role as one of the guests at the dinner party which is interrupted by the Grim Reaper. He has also appeared in some of the solo film projects of the members of Monty Python: Privates on Parade (with John Cleese), [2] American Friends (1991) with Michael Palin. [5] He appeared in the Terry Gilliam film Brazil (1985) alongside Jonathan Pryce and Robert De Niro, [2] also worked alongside Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys (1995). [1]

Jones has appeared in many Broadway plays, including The Real Thing (1985), [7] as Max, Benefactors (1985), [7] as Colin, Getting Married (1991), [4] as Reginald Bridgenorth, Private Lives (1992), [7] as Elyot Chase, The Real Inspector Hound, [7] (as Moon) and The Fifteen Minute Hamlet (as Hamlet - which played together in 1992), [4] The School for Scandal (1995), [7] as Joseph Surface, Ring Round the Moon (1999), [4] as Romainville and as Perry Lascoe in Waiting in the Wings (1999). [7]

In 2009, Jones appeared in Blithe Spirit , [1] as Dr. Bradman, supported by Angela Lansbury and Rupert Everett; and in 2018 he portrayed John Rich, in Farinelli and the King co-starring Mark Rylance. [4] Off-Broadway he has a long list of credits, and was nominated for the 1990 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Privates on Parade . [7]

Jones is also a voice actor and audiobook narrator, with more than 70 titles to his credit. Among them are: [7] [4]

In 2003, Jones reprised his role as Arthur Dent in a new radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . [7] In the same year he was involved in the filming of the film version of the first novel, making a brief cameo appearance in the role of the holographic Magrathean answering machine/automated defence system. [7]

In 2009, Jones was heard as master detective Sexton Blake on BBC Radio 2 in the six-part series, The Adventures of Sexton Blake! . [5]

In 2012 and 2013, he returned to the UK, to star in a national stage tour of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Live! [4]

The tour of Blithe Spirit, starring Angela Lansbury, then went to London's West End in early 2014. [4] This was followed by BBC Radio appearances in Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett's Good Omens , directed by Dirk Maggs, and Doctor Who with Tom Baker. [5]

In 2018, Jones was once again playing Arthur Dent when he recorded the final radio series, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – the Hexagonal Phase directed by Dirk Maggs for BBC Radio 4. [5]

In August 2018, it was announced that Jones would be among the new cast to join the original actors in the Downton Abbey film, which started principal photography at about the same time. [9]

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). [4]

Personal life

Jones and his son Tim were hit by a car on 8 October 2010; though they suffered only bruises, he had to withdraw from The Actors Company Theatre's production of Václav Havel's Memorandum . [10] On 20 December 2019 his wife, Nancy Lewis, died in Manhattan of leukemia aged 76. [11]

Partial filmography

[2] [7] [1] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Adams</span> English author and humourist (1952–2001)

Douglas Noel Adams was an English author, humourist, and screenwriter, best known as the creator of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG). Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy developed into a "trilogy" of five books which sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime. It was further developed into a television series, several stage plays, comics, a video game, and a 2005 feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> Science fiction series

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it was later adapted to other formats, including novels, stage shows, comic books, a 1981 TV series, a 1984 text adventure game, and 2005 feature film.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts</i> 1985 novel by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts is a book, published in 1985, containing the scripts for the original radio series version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Prefect (character)</span> Alien researcher, from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Ford Prefect is a fictional character in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by the British author Douglas Adams. His role as Arthur Dent's friend – and rescuer, when the Earth is unexpectedly demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass at the start of the story – is often expository, as Ford is an experienced galactic hitchhiker and explains that he is actually an alien journalist, a field researcher for the titular Guide itself, and not an out-of-work actor from Guildford as he had claimed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Dent</span> The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy character

Arthur Philip Dent is a fictional character and the hapless protagonist of the comic science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trillian (character)</span> Last remaining woman, in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Tricia Marie McMillan, also known as Trillian Astra, is a fictional character from Douglas Adams' series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She is most commonly referred to simply as "Trillian", a modification of her birth name, which she adopted because it sounded more "space-like". According to the movie version, her middle name is Marie. Physically, she is described as "a slim, darkish humanoid, with long waves of black hair, a full mouth, an odd little knob of a nose and ridiculously brown eyes," looking "vaguely Arabic."

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> (video game) 1984 video game

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an interactive fiction video game based on the comedic science fiction series of the same name. It was designed by series creator Douglas Adams and Infocom's Steve Meretzky, and it was first released in 1984 for the Apple II, Mac, Commodore 64, CP/M, MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari 8-bit computers, and Atari ST. It is Infocom's fourteenth game.

David Dixon is an English actor and screenwriter. His credits include A Family at War (1970), Escort Girls (1974), The Sweeney, The Legend of Robin Hood (1975), Rock Follies (1976), A Horseman Riding By (1978), Lillie (1978), The Tempest (1980), The Missionary (1982), Cold Warrior (1984), Tutti Frutti (1987), Circles of Deceit: Dark Secret (1995), A Touch of Frost: Fun Times for Swingers (1996), and Original Sin (1996). However, his most notable role was starring as Ford Prefect in the 1981 BBC TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981).

Stephen Vincent Moore was an English actor, known for his work on British television since the mid-1970s.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> (film) 2005 film by Garth Jennings

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 science fiction comedy film directed by Garth Jennings, based upon the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series created by Douglas Adams. It stars Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, and John Malkovich, and the voices of Stephen Fry, Helen Mirren, Richard Griffiths, Thomas Lennon, Ian McNeice, and Alan Rickman. Adams co-wrote the screenplay with Karey Kirkpatrick but Adams died in 2001, before production began, therefore the film is dedicated to him. The film received mainly positive reviews and grossed over $100 million worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Griffiths</span> English actor (1947–2013)

Richard Thomas Griffiths was an English actor. He was known for his portrayals of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films (2001–2010), Uncle Monty in Withnail and I (1987), and Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky (1994–1997). Over his career he received numerous accolades including a Tony Award and Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a BAFTA Award. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2008.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> (radio series) UK sci-fi comedy radio series (1978–2018)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy radio series primarily written by Douglas Adams. It was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4 in 1978, and afterwards the BBC World Service, National Public Radio in the US and CBC Radio in Canada. The series was the first radio comedy programme to be produced in stereo, and was innovative in its use of music and sound effects, winning a number of awards.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> (TV series) British sci-fi comedy television series by Douglas Adams (1981)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a BBC television adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which aired between 5 January and 9 February 1981 on BBC2 in the United Kingdom. The adaptation follows the original radio series in 1978 and 1980, the first novel and double LP, in 1979, and the stage shows, in 1979 and 1980, making it the fifth iteration of the guide.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> Primary and Secondary Phases Radio series written by Douglas Adams

The terms Primary Phase and Secondary Phase describe the first two radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, first broadcast in 1978. These were the first incarnations of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise. Both were written by Douglas Adams and consist of six episodes each.

The Tertiary Phase, Quandary Phase, Quintessential Phase and Hexagonal Phase are respectively the third, fourth, fifth and sixth series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series. Produced in 2003, 2004 and 2018 by Above the Title Productions for BBC Radio 4, they are radio adaptations of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth books in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series: Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish; Mostly Harmless and And Another Thing....

Douglas Adams at the BBC is a three CD set released by BBC Audio in 2004 (ISBN 0-563-49404-2). By using extracts from many radio and TV productions, the three discs cover Douglas Adams's association with BBC Radio and TV from 1974 to 2001, and also include tributes to Adams that were transmitted between 2001 and 2003. Subjects are covered in an A-Z format. Linking narration on all three discs is provided by Simon Jones. Several of the sketches, many of which are included for the first time since their original transmissions, had been discussed in biographies of Adams. In addition, the complete script for "The Lost Hitchhiker Sketch" appears in the 25th anniversary edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Radio Scripts. Disc one covers subjects A to G, disc two covers subjects H to P, and disc three covers subjects Q to Z.

Charles McKeown is a British actor and writer, perhaps best known for his collaborations with Terry Gilliam. The two met while shooting Monty Python's Life of Brian, while McKeown was doing bit parts in the film.

<i>Douglas Adamss Guide to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i>

Douglas Adams's Guide to The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a BBC Radio production sold as an audio book on two cassette tapes. The programme was partially broadcast by BBC Radio 4 as a 40-minute feature titled The Guide to 20 Years' Hitch-Hiking on 5 March 1998, marking the 20th anniversary of the first radio programme in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

<i>And Another Thing...</i> (novel) Eoin Colfer novel

And Another Thing... is the sixth and final installment of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy of six books". The book, written by Eoin Colfer was published on the thirtieth anniversary of the first book, 12 October 2009, in hardback. It was published by Penguin Books in the UK and by Hyperion Books in the US. Colfer was given permission to write the book by Adams' widow Jane Belson.

<i>Douglas Adamss Starship Titanic: A Novel</i> 1997 novel by Terry Jones

Douglas Adams's Starship Titanic is a novel written by Terry Jones, based on the game Starship Titanic conceived by Douglas Adams. The novel was published in October 1997 by Harmony Books and Pan Books, and in November 1998 by Ballantine Books.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Simon Jones". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Simon Jones Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 Danny Hewitt (17 July 2013). "The Real Arthur Dent - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy star Simon Jones on his love of cars and motoring". motortradesinsight.co.uk.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Star File - Simon Jones". broadway.com. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Simon Jones". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Hulme, Hannah (5 July 2012). "Interview: Original Arthur Dent actor Simon Jones on Hitchhiker's writer Douglas Adams and performing live". Mancunian Matters.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Hitchhikers Guide - Simon". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Simon Jones - He's equally entertaining and convincing". audiofilemagazine.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  9. ↑ McNary, Dave (30 August 2018). "Imelda Staunton, Geraldine James Join 'Downton Abbey' Movie". Variety .
  10. ↑ Itzkoff, Dave (10 October 2010). "Actor Withdraws From Havel Play After Car Accident". The New York Times .
  11. ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (13 January 2020). "Nancy Lewis, the Pythons' Ticket to America, Dies at 76". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 13 January 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.