Jay Simon (born 17 December 1966, in London, England ) is an English stage, film, television, and voice actor best known for playing TV and Film roles including: the Flight Attendant in The Wedding Date, Billy in Jack Higgins' Midnight Man and Lionel Symon in Stephen Poliakoff's Perfect Strangers.
Contents |
As a boy Jay appeared as a solo singer in various productions for the English National Opera including:Carmen, Tosca and Jonathan Miller's The Magic Flute, in 1979.
Jay went on to study Drama at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1988–1991) After graduatiion was offered a post as Assistant Director to Marina Caldarone, in Nothing Sacred at Theatre Clwydd .
He then travelled to Canada playing Lysander, in a production of A Midsummer-Night's Dream and toured a one man show, Merely Players . Whilst there Jay studied film acting at Gastown Actors Centre Vancouver.
Also in British Columbia Jay was invited to teach Acting and Improvisation to Canada's Native actors (through the Spirit Songtheatre Company ). His most famous pupils included Chief Dan George's grandchildren. He later enjoyed teaching Method Acting at the Tibetan Llamo Theatre Institute, Dharamsala, India.
Returning to England he starred as Celadon, in Mike Westbrook's 'Good Friday 1663' ( directed by the late Frank Cvitanovitch). He was subsequently offered many stage roles; including Orin Scrivello, in Jersey Opera's Little Shop of Horrors and Sky Masterson, in Pimlico Opera's Guys and Dolls. He went on to star as Mark Trelawny in A Dangerous obsession in Hamburg and as Captain Lombard, in Vienna's English Theatre production of 'And then there were none..' He was subsequently invited back to play Freddy, in Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. Shakespearean roles include Orsino in Twelfth night and Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing (British Shakespeare Co).
Jay's television credits include: Eastenders, Highlander, The Knock, Goodnight Sweetheart, Bernard's Watch, Genie in the House, The Bill, Casualty, Holby City, Agony, Murder in Suburbia, Perfect Strangers, Comic Relief, Barbara, Fur TV and My Family.
Films include: 'This Charming Man', 'The Night and the Templar' and Daybreak. He has written, directed and starred in a short film, 'The Wheel of Fortune'.
Jay Simon is also a Voice Artiste/Impressionist. He has contributed to numerous Current Affairs programmes including: Despatches, Panorama and Newsnight. He was one of the Gerry Adams' soundalikes during the ban and voiced Tony Blair for the BBC during the Hutton inquiry. Worked in documentaries: 'Super Human Body', 'World War 2 in Colour', 'Britain at War','The Meadow', and 'Diana; the witnesses in the tunnel'.
He has narrated the popular television series 'Future Car' and films: 'The Meadow', 'le Pied' and 'Death Leap'.
Jay has voiced many characters for many popular Children's television programmes including: 'Finley The Fire-engine' (Dex and Suds), 'It's a Big Big world ' (Oko and Wartz), 'Molly Monster' (Papa and Edison) and the Bafta nominated 'Just so Darwin' (Various animals). He can be heard on many Radio and Television commercials and has provided numerous characters for video games including: 'Haze', 'Jericho' and 'Spartan total Warrior'.[1][2][3]
Jay's A.D.R work is very extensive too: from The Tudors and Foyles War on TV, to Ridley Scot's Robin Hood, Defiance, Spygame and The Bourne Identity, in films.
Jay now spends his free time teaching screen acting and commercial technique, writing, and performing comedy. He lives in London with his wife and three children.