James Saxon (actor)

James Saxon
Born
William James Smyth[1]

(1955-06-12)12 June 1955
Swindon, Wiltshire, England
Died2 July 2003(2003-07-02) (aged 48)
Mere, Wiltshire, England
OccupationActor
Years active1980-2003

William James Smyth (12 June 1955 – 2 July 2003), better known by his stage name James Saxon, was an English character actor. He began his career in British television productions in the early 1980s, and as the decade progressed he became an in-demand charismatic support actor.

He was known for the plump physique and expressive moon face that he developed in his thirties, and for his acting range, from frenetic intensity and garrulousness to refined genteel introspection. To the mid-1980s generation of British children he was known for his role as Roland Rat's inept agent, D'Arcy DeFarcy, who would mistakenly refer to his client as "Reynard".

  1. ^ Find My Past/Ancestry