Michael Jayston 1935-2024

We were very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Jayston, who was perfectly cast as Peter Guillam in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Jayston was the ideal foil for Guinness's Smiley and he was due to reprise his role in Smiley's People. Sadly, when production dates for the series slipped, Jayston had to drop out as he had already been cast as Captain von Trapp in the West End revival of The Sound of Music. Guinness in particular was disappointed, describing his loss as 'a bit of a blow'.

Jayston was interviewed last year about his experience of making the series (for a BBC4 repeat screening of Tinker Tailor) and that interview can now be found online here.

In addition to his work on the television series Jayston remained connected to John le Carré's world as narrator of a large number of his audiobooks, including Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People. You can find a selection of his work at Audible. His voice stays with you, long after you have finished listening. 

Tinker Tailor showcases a generation of actors at the very top of their game. As Guillam, Michael Jayston acts as a guide for the viewer through the labyrinth of this shadowy world. It is impossible to imagine the series without him.