Michael Jayson was an English actor who was popularly known for his portrayal of Nicholas II of Russia in the 1971 movie, Nicholas and Alexandra. He was married thrice and had 5 kids before his passing on 5 February 2024. His first two marriages – to the actor Lynn Farleigh in 1965 and Heather Sneddon in 1970 ended in divorce. He later married Ann Smithson in 1979 and she remained his spouse until his passing.
Michael Jayson And Lynn Farleigh Were Married For 5 Years
Michael Jayson got married to English actress, Lynn Farleigh in 1965. The circumstances behind their meeting and subsequent divorce have not been made public. However, it is known that their union lasted five years and they did not have any children together.
Just like her estranged husband, Lynn is also a celebrated actress. Born on 3 May 1942, Lynn attended the Redland High School for Girls in Bristol. She later had her stage training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Lynn made her professional debut in 1962 and is now known for her works in several movies and TV series. Some of these are The Rivals (1964), Three into Two Won’t Go (1969) and Watership (1978).
Meanwhile, Lynn has also been married thrice. Her first husband was Michael Jayson and their union was between 1965 to 1970. She later moved on with British actor and playwright, David Yip in 1989. The English actor, John Woodvine is her third and current husband. The pair got married in 1996.
Jayson’s Second Marriage Was To Heather Sneddon
Jayson married Heather in 1970. There aren’t many details about Heather’s personality or career But she is said to be a glass engraver. She was married to Michael for 7 years (1970-1977) and they had 3 kids, two sons, Tom and Ben, and a daughter, Li-an.
His Last Marriage With Ann Smithson Was His Longest
As earlier stated, Michael Jayson tied the knot with Ann Smithson in 1979 and they remained married till Jayson’s demise. Ann is a nurse and not an entertainer like her late husband. She married Jayson in 1979 and their wedding lasted 45 years. The pair had two children together; a son, Richard, and a daughter, Katie.
Are Michael Jayson’s Kids Also Famous?
As previously noted, Michael Jayson has five kids from his relationships. However, nothing is currently in the public about them. There is a possibility that the actor and the mothers of his kids decided to keep their kids away from the spotlight for personal reasons.
SEE ALSO: Chris Sarandon Was Married To Three Women: Meet His Wives
Other Facts About Michael Jayson That May Interest You
- Michael Jayston was aged 88 when he passed on February 5, 2024, after a brief illness.
- He lost his father at the tender age of 1. He later lost his mother when he turned fourteen. He was then raised by his grandmother and uncle.
- He attended Catholic Grammar School and Nottingham University.
- Michael served in the National Service for some time and was stationed in Germany where he participated in several plays. He later returned to Nottingham to train as an accountant for the National Coal Board.
- The late actor once moved boxes around in the Nottingham fish market.
- He made his professional debut in 1961, performing in various productions at the Bangor Little Theatre in North Ireland.
- He decided to change his surname to ‘Jayston’ because people were confused as to whether his name was ‘Michael James’ or ‘James Michael’.
- He was a sportsman, proficient in Cricket. The late actor was also the president of Tottingdean Cricket Club.
- He was also a prolific reader of audiobooks and he recorded audio versions of many of the novels of Alexander Kent. He also recorded most of John le Carré’s novels in audiobook format, providing a link with his role as Peter Guillam in the 1979 TV series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Furthermore, he was the storyteller in the BBC radio readings of the novels Rogue Male and Rogue Justice, both written by Geoffrey Household.
- He is the only actor to play both Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 and Doctor in Doctor Who (1963). He also played Bond in a 1971 BBC radio adaptation of You Only Live Twice (1967) and was at one point considered for the role in the film.
- Jayston is a distinguished classical stage actor and has made performances for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
