Martin Jarvis

Posted on by Tony CrawleyCategories:Actors
    1. Anthony Higgins, Taste The Blood of Dracula, 1970.       A good part to start a film career with but Jarvis was committed to stage work with Bernard Miles and had to make do with a lesser role in the Hammer Film sold with a twist on the milk industry slogan: DRINK A PINTA BLOOD A DAY.
    2. Gareth Thomas, Blake’s 7, TV, 1978-1981.    The veteran of all acting mediums – stage, screens, radio, audio-books – was in the mix for Roj Blake, head of what Terry Nation (also the creator of Doctor Who’s Daleks) pitched as The Dirty Dozen In Space… His rivals included Tom Adams. Alun Armstrong, Warren Clarke, Maurice Colbourne, Brian Croucher (he played Travis for six episodes), Paul Darrow (who became icy Avon), Peter Egan, Christian Roberts and Donald Sumpter Welshman Thomas quit after 28 of the 52 chapters when Aunty wouldn’t let him direct. He never did direct for TV – never watched himself on the box, either.
    3. John Leeson, Doctor Who #102: The Power of Kroll, TV, 1978-1979.      His (very) dulcet tones were first selected to voice the giant squid called Dugeen – looking rather like a rancid Big Mac. Jarvis withdrew before rehearsals. Enter: Leeson, the voice of Doc4 Tom Baker’s robotic dog, K9 during 1977-1979. Jarvis joined the Whoverse as early as Doc1 William Hartnell’s #13: The Web Planet trilogy, 1965, and went on to be Butler in #71: Invasion of the Dinosaurs, 1974, with Doc3 Jon Pertwee, and The Governor of #138: Vengeance on Varos, 1985, opposite Doc6 Colin Baker.
    4. Emrys James, Doctor Who #112: State of Decay, TV, 1980.     There were 21 potential Aukons and all – except James – had been this way before, standing at the Whoverse portal, awaiting a callback. Jarvis, Peter Arne, Colin Baker, Steven Berkoff, John Carson, David Collings, Peter Gilmore, Michael Gothard, John Hallam, Donald Houston, Michael Jayston, Ronald Lacey, William Lucas, Ian McKellen, John Normington, Patrick Stewart, Anthony Valentine, Peter Vaughan, David Warner, Peter Wyngarde.
    5. Paul Shelley, Doctor Who #117: Four To Doomsday, TV, 1981.    Jarvis was not persuaded to play the Minister of Persuasion. Nor were Colin Baker, Michaels Cashman and Cochrane, Tom Chadbon, Jack Galloway, Paul Jerricho, Clive Merrison (BBC Radio’s Sherlock Holmes), Martin Potter, Malcolm Tierney and James Warwick. This was Doc5 Peter Davison’s second outing. “And I didn’t know what I was doing!”
    6. James Warwick, Doctor Who #121: Earthshock, 1982.      In Doc5 Peter Davison’s Cybermen encounter, circa 2526, Scott was offered to Jarvis, Colin Baker (to be Doc6 in 1984-1986), Nicholas Ball, Andrew Burt, Lewis Collins, Peter Firth, Del Henney, Tim Pigott-Smith, Patrick Ryecart, Patrick Stewart, David Warner, Simon Williams. Plus Gareth Hunt (aka Mike Gambit) from TV’s 1976-1977 New Avengers. And the more successful 1977-1983 Professionals duo: Bodie and Doyle, aka Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw.
    7. Richard Easton, Doctor Who #:122: Time Flight, TV, 1982.     The 19 nominations for Concorde pilot Captain Stapley in the worst Doc5 Peter Davison episode (the budget ran out…) were  were Jarvis, Easton, Terence Alexander, Peter Arne, Keith Barron, Brian Blessed, John Carson, Michael Craig, Paul Darrow, Peter Gilmore, Michael Gothard, John Hallam, Terrence Hardiman, Del Henney, Glyn Houston, William Lucas, Conrad Phillips, Anthony Valentine and Frank Windsor.
    8. Martin Potter, Doctor Who #126: Terminus, TV, 1983.      Director Mary Ridge had as many as 16 Eirak choices for Doc 5 Peter Davison’s visit to the titular and leprous space station. Many of the usual suspects – Narvis, Potter, Nicholas Ball, Ralph Bates, Christopher Cazenove, Tom Chadbon, Ben Cross, Richard Heffer, avdrts, Jeff Rawle, Patrick Ryecart, Simons Ward and Williams. Plus Sean Arnold, Jack Galloway, Nigel Havers, Paul Shelley.  
    9. Nigel Havers, Don’t Wait Up, TV, 1983-1990.      He was never asked to be The Doctor – just Dr Tom Latimer in this BBC sitcom about two medico smoothies, pere et fils, living together after leaving their wives… and Dr Armstrong in the dreaded Lifeforce farce, among a staggering 104 other actors!
    10. Patrick Stewart, Lifeforce, 1984.

    11.  Michael Gothard, Lifeforce, 1984.
    12. Nicholas Ball, Lifeforce, 1984.
    13. Aubrey Morris, Lifeforce, 1984.
    14. Tom Adams, Doctor Who #130: Warriors of The Deep, 1984.     Competing for Commander Vorshak in Doc5 Peter Davison’s finale were 13 of the astonshing army of 203 candidates for just 18 roles in that year’s Lifeforce movie mess: Jarvis, Steven Berkoff, Kenneth Colley, Michael Craigh, Paul Darrow, Anton Diffring, Del Henney, Martin Jarvis, Ian McCulloch, Patrick Mower, Patrick Stewart, David Warner, Simon Williams and Peter Wyngarde. Plus three outsiders: Brian Blessed, Peter Gilmore, Gareth Hunt. The difference being Who was science fiction and Lifeforce was science fart.
    15. Maurice Colbourne, Doctor Who #133: Resurrection Of The Daleks, TV, 1984.       Aunty wanted a name for Commander Lytton… like Meg Bennett, Brian Blessed, Kenneth Cope, Timothy Dalton (the future Lord President in #202: The End of Time, 2000), Leslie Grantham (not yet Dirty Den in EastEnders), Alfred Lynch, Clive Merrison, Terry Molloy (aka Davros), John Rhys-Davies, Maurice Roëves. Lifeforcers: Jarvis, Nicholas Ball, Steven Berkoff, Tom Chadbon, Paul Darrow, Michael Gothard, Don Henderson, Del Henney (he became Colonel Archer), Michael Jayston, Edward Peel, George Sewell, Patrick Stewart, Anthony Valentine and David Warner. All 25 up for one role in a flaming Doctor Who… Preposterous!
    16. Christopher Gable, Doctor Who #135: The Caves of Androzani, TV, 1984.      Mixed signals about Sharez Jek… Rock idols like David Bowie, Roger Daltrey, Mick Jagger and the rockerish Tim Curry – or actors Patrick Allen, Nicholas Ball, Steven Berkoff, Brian Cox, Christopher Gable, Michael Gambon, Julian Glover, John Hurt, Derek Jacobi, Martin Jarvis, Michael Jayston, Oliver Tobias. Jarvis was also seen for…
    17. John Normington, Doctor Who #135: The Caves of Androzani, TV, 1984.       Joss Ackland, Patrick Allen, George Baker, Ian Bannen, Julian Glover, Martin Jarvis, Michael Jayston were all on the Morgus wish list.
    18. Dinsdale Landen, Doctor Who #154: The Curse of Fenric, TV, 1989..      Jarvis, Edward Hardwicke and David McCallum were also discussed for Dr Judson – based on the WWII code-breaker, Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2014 film, The Imitation Game). Ian Briggs scripted Judson as gay as Turing, but Aunty shuddered about discussing sexuality in a family hour show.

     

 Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls:  18