Career
Jarvis began his professional career in 1964 with the Manchester Library Theatre and made his West End debut that same year. He subsequently spent three years with the Royal National Theatre, building a classical stage foundation that would underpin a remarkably varied career.
Theatre
On the West End and in regional productions, Jarvis appeared in Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind and Henceforward..., Harold Pinter's Other Places, and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest opposite Judi Dench. In 2006 he appeared in Joanna Murray-Smith's Honour at Wyndham's Theatre alongside Diana Rigg and Natascha McElhone. In 2001 he made his Broadway debut playing the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn's By Jeeves, earning a Theatre World Award for the performance.1 He wrote a book about the experience: Broadway, Jeeves (2002).2
Television
Jarvis's television career began with a notable early role in Doctor Who: he played Captain Hilio of the Menoptra in "The Web Planet" (1965) and returned to the series twice more, as Dr. Butler in "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" (1974) and as the Governor in "Vengeance on Varos" (1985).1 He gained wider recognition in the BBC's landmark 1967 serial The Forsyte Saga and appeared in Nicholas Nickleby (1968) and David Copperfield (1974).1 He starred in the BBC sitcom Rings on Their Fingers (1978-1980) opposite Diane Keen.1
American television credits include Murder, She Wrote, Walker, Texas Ranger, Stargate Atlantis, and Numb3rs.
Film
Notable film appearances include Buster (1988) and Titanic (1997), in which he and his wife Rosalind Ayres played Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon.1 He later contributed a voice role to Disney's Wreck-It Ralph (2012).2
Radio and audiobooks
The BBC has described Jarvis as "one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile actors," a recognition rooted largely in his radio work.1 He has been a fixture on BBC Radio 4 for decades, most famously reading the complete runs of Richmal Crompton's Just William stories. He founded Jarvis & Ayres Productions in 1986, a radio production company with a long relationship with BBC Radio 4, and he has appeared in numerous Michael Frayn and P.G. Wodehouse adaptations. His audiobook recordings of Wodehouse earned him an Audie Award.1 He also authored a memoir, Acting Strangely: A Funny Kind of Life.
Voice acting and video games
Jarvis has been a prolific voice actor in American animation and video games. He voiced characters in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, and played The Chronicler in the Spyro video game series (from 2007).2 He voiced Admiral Zaal'Koris in Mass Effect 2 (2010) and Mass Effect 3 (2012).1 His most sustained video game role has been Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman: Arkham franchise, from Batman: Arkham City (2011) through Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) and subsequent releases extending to 2024.2
Ghostbusters
Jarvis appeared as a guest voice actor on Extreme Ghostbusters in the episode "The Luck of the Irish."
Personal life
Jarvis met actress Rosalind Ayres while performing together in Hamlet and married her on November 23, 1974, in Ealing.1 He has two sons from a previous marriage. The couple maintains homes in West Hollywood and London and co-runs Jarvis & Ayres Productions. Jarvis was appointed OBE in 2000 for services to drama.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
-
"Martin Jarvis (actor)," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Jarvis_(actor).
-
"Martin Jarvis," IMDb, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0419089/.
