Michael McStay
Michael McStay | |
|---|---|
 McStay as Sergeant Perryman in No Hiding Place (1964–1966) | |
| Born | Michael John McStay (1933-01-31)31 January 1933West Ham, London, England |
| Died | 11 May 2025(2025-05-11) (aged 92) London, England |
| Occupation | Actor • writer |
| Years active | 1952–2011 • 2023–2024/25 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Michael John McStay (//məkˈstaɪ//; 31 January 1933 – 11 May 2025), sometimes credited as Mike McStay, was an English actor and writer with a career spanning six decades. He was known for his roles in No Hiding Place,Coronation Street and Doctor Who.[1][2][3]
Biography
Early life
He was born Michael John McStay in West Ham, London, on 31 January 1933.[4][5][6][7]
He studied drama, French, and philosophy at the University of Bristol where he also started acting on stage.[2]
In the 1950s, he served for two years as an officer in Cyprus during the Cyprus Emergency.[2]
Career
McStay began his acting career in the late 1950s, initially appearing in British film and television productions, often in uncredited or supporting roles. His early screen work included appearances in films such as The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) and Robbery (1967), as well as guest roles in series including Dixon of Dock Green and Z-Cars.[2]
He gained wider recognition in the 1960s for his work in television drama, most notably portraying Detective Sergeant Perryman in 79 episodes of the ITV police series No Hiding Place between 1964 and 1966.[3] During this period, he also appeared in programmes such as The Avengers, Crossroads and The Persuaders!.[2]
He was reportedly considered for the role of James Bond after George Lazenby's departure from the franchise, though the part was ultimately returned to Sean Connery.[3]
In 1976, McStay appeared in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, playing zoologist Derek Moberley in the serial The Seeds of Doom. He continued to work regularly in television throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with roles in productions including The Black Arrow, Fall of Eagles, A Perfect Spy and Juliet Bravo.[2]
Alongside his acting career, McStay worked as a writer for television and radio, co-creating and writing the series Pull the Other One and contributing scripts to the radio series Coleman and Astor.[8][9] In later years he also undertook narration and voice-over work for television and documentary projects.[2]
McStay returned to screen acting intermittently in the 21st century, with appearances in series such as EastEnders and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. In 2011, he replaced John Woodvine as Alan Hoyle in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.[1][3] (Both men coincidentally died a few months apart in 2025.) His final acting role was in the short film Georges et Audrey, which was in post-production at the time of his death and will be released posthumously.[10]
In January 2023, he published a memoir, Inconsequential and Irrelevant: A Worm's Eye View of Acting, reflecting on his career in the entertainment industry.[11] The following month he was interviewed by Toby Hadoke in his podcast Toby Hadoke's Time Travels.[3][12]
Personal life
He married actress Jennifer Clulow in 1967 and had two children with her, Darius and Paul.[2][3] Darius is also an actor.[13]
He died of heart failure in London on 11 May 2025, aged 92.[1][2][14]
Filmography
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
As actor
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Invasion Quartet | Doctor | Uncredited |
| The Day the Earth Caught Fire | Policeman at Washing Centre | ||
| 1962 | Jigsaw | Police Operator | |
| 1964 | Psyche 59 | Man on Beach | |
| The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb | Ra-Antef | Uncredited | |
| 1967 | Robbery | Don | [3] |
| Battle Beneath the Earth | Train Commander | ||
| 1969 | Mosquito Squadron | Flt Lt Mason | Uncredited |
| 1971 | Bread | Rafe Bates | Credited as Mike McStay |
| Sound an Alarm | Himself / French Liaison Officer | Short | |
| 1977 | The Stick Up | Mechanic | |
| 1988 | The Zero Option | Quentin Collins | |
| 1995 | Jack & Sarah | Security Man | |
| 2005 | The Grotlyn | N/A | Voice; short |
| 2009 | Centenary: The BP Story | Himself / Sir John Cadman | Voice; credited as Mike McStay |
| TBA | Georges et Audrey† | Georges | Post-production; short; posthumous release |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Dixon of Dock Green | PC Wyman | Episodes: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars" and "The Threat" |
| No Hiding Place | Sammy Fairburn | Episode: "A Very Respectable Man" | |
| 1961 | Ghost Squad | Barman | Uncredited; episode: "The Eyes of the Bat" |
| Playdate | Len Forrest | Episode: "The Exam" | |
| 1962 | Richard the Lionheart | Knight | Episode: "The Great Enterprise" |
| 1963 | No Hiding Place | Willows | Episode: "Pillar to Post" |
| 1964–1966 | Det. Sgt. Perryman | 79 episodes;[3] | |
| 1968 | The Avengers | Trancer | Episode: "Killer" |
| 1969 | Z Cars | Dennis Pickford | Episode: "Carbon Copy: Part 1" |
| Crossroads | Steve Mitchell | 11 episodes | |
| Who-Dun-It | Frank Gurney | Episode: "A High Class Death" | |
| 1971 | Out of the Unknown | David | Episode: "The Last Witness" |
| Paul Temple | Det. Insp. Keith Grant | Episode: "Death Sentence" | |
| The Persuaders! | Vernier | Episode: "The Gold Napoleon" | |
| Jason King | Gendarme | Episode: "Buried in the Cold Cold Ground" | |
| Trial | Oliver Gastrang | Episode: "Mister X" | |
| The Passenger | Andy Mason | 3 episodes | |
| 1972 | The Lotus Eaters | David Clive | Episode: "The Present Mrs Clive" |
| My Wife Next Door | Ronald | Episode: "Anniversary Schmaltz" | |
| 1973–1974 | The Black Arrow | Knoles | 6 episodes |
| 1974 | Fall of Eagles | Count Montenuovo | Episode: "Indian Summer of an Emperor" |
| The Double Dealers | Commentator | Episode: "Cut Down Like a Flower" | |
| 1975 | Churchill's People | Ralf | Episode: "The Conquerors" |
| Second Time Around | Arthur Anderson | Episode: "Take My Ex-Wife" | |
| The Sweeney | Eric - Nightclub manager | Episode: "Cover Story" | |
| 1976 | Doctor Who | Derek Moberley | 2 episodes; serial: The Seeds of Doom;[1][2][3] |
| 1977 | Esther Waters | Bill Evans | Episode 4 |
| 1978 | Tycoon | Martineau | Episode: "End to a Beginning" |
| 1979 | Park Ranger | Colin | Credited as Mike McStay; episodes: "New Boy", "Contest", "Waste", "Fire!" |
| Shoestring | Croupier | Episode: "Stamp Duty" | |
| 1981 | A Spy at Evening | Simons | Episode 2 |
| 1983 | Juliet Bravo | Det Chief Inspector Bob Leeming | Episode: "Who's Your Friend?" |
| This Is Your Life | Himself | Episode: "Johnny Briggs" | |
| 1985 | Super Gran | Vincent Eleven | Episode: "Supergran and the Super Match" |
| 1986 | The Fourth Floor | Colin Ettrick | 3-episode miniseries |
| 1987 | Screen Two | Donald MacLean | Episode: "Blunt" |
| Home James! | Markham | Episode: "Things That Go Spoof in the Night" | |
| Bureaucracy of Love | Vicar | TV film | |
| Sunday Premiere | Middle-aged Hack | Episode: "Love After Lunch" | |
| Bust | Sir Alec | Episode: "Man of Property" | |
| A Perfect Spy | Belinda's father | Episode 4 | |
| 1988 | ScreenPlay | Mr de Ville | Episode: "Starlings" |
| 1989 | Dispatches | Himself | Narrator; episode: "Return to Year Zero?" |
| 1990 | Le mari de l'ambassadeur | Jimmy Harper | Episode 1 |
| French Fields | The auctioneer | Episode: "Double or Quit" | |
| 1991 | Thatcher: The Final Days | Michael Mates | TV film |
| Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady | Inspector Schmidt | ||
| 1992 | The Bill | Keith Prentice | Episode: "Illegals" |
| 1996 | Ch. Insp. Cochrane | Episode: "Don't Kill the Messenger" | |
| 2000 | EastEnders | Maurice | Episode 2042 |
| 2001 | Mike Baldwin & Me | Himself | TV film |
| 2002 | Ted and Alice | James Lowe | 3-episode miniseries |
| 2005 | Hiroshima | Morio Ozaki | Voice-over; credited as Mike McStay; Documentary TV film |
| 2006 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Will McRae | Episode: "One Guilty Deed" |
| 2010 | Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom | Himself | DVD commentary |
| 2011 | Coronation Street | Alan Hoyle | 17 episodes;[1][2][3] |
Audio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Lord of the Rings | Rohan | The Two Towers; radio play |
| 1990, 1992–1994 | Coleman and Astor | N/A | Reader; 7 radio plays;[8][9] |
| 2023 | Toby Hadoke's Time Travels | Himself | Podcast interview; episode: "Happy Times and Places"; [3][12] |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952–1953 | Summer and Smoke | Drama Department, University of Bristol | |
| 1954–1955 | A Streetcar Named Desire | ||
| Down in the Valley | |||
| 1955–1956 | Measure for Measure | Dartington Hall, Devon | |
| The Flies | Drama Department, University of Bristol | ||
| Gammer Gurton's Needle | |||
| Electra | |||
| 1956–1957 | Measure for Measure | ||
| 3–8 June 1963 | Bogey 7 | Lew Telliger | Brighton Hippodrome |
| 10–15 June 1963 | Bristol Hippodrome |
As writer
Television
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Pull the Other One | 6 episodes |
Radio
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990, 1992–1994 | Coleman and Astor | 7 radio plays;[8][9] |
| 1999 | The Hand of Dartmoor | Based on the legend of Hairy Hands[15] |
Bibliography
| Year | Title | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Inconsequential and Irrelevant:A Worm's Eye View of Acting | ISBN 978-1-911537-21-2 | Memoir |
References
- ^ abcdeMensah, Katelyn. "Michael McStay, Coronation Street and Doctor Who actor, dies aged 92 | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ abcdefghijk"Coronation Street and Doctor Who actor dies aged 92". The Independent. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ abcdefghijk"Michael McStay, 'Doctor Who' and 'No Hiding Place' Actor, Dies at 92". People.com. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^"Michael J MCSTAY's record". FreeBMD. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^"Doctor Who Guide: Michael McStay". guide.doctorwhonews.net. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
- ^Development, PodBean. "Happy Times and Places BONUS - Michael McStay Interview | Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke's Time Travels". tobyhadoke.podbean.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
Veteran actor Michael McStay, fresh from celebrating his 90th birthday, [...].
- ^"In Memoriam". Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition (2026 Yearbook) (72): 77. 2026.
- ^ abcMcStay, Michael (20 April 2023). Inspector Coleman and Sergeant Astor.
- ^ abc"BBC Radio 4 Extra - Whodunnits, Coleman and Astor". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^Georges et Audrey at IMDb
- ^McStay, Michael (2023). Inconsequential and Irrelevant: A Worm's Eye View of Acting. Quoit Media Limited. ISBN 978-1-911537-21-2.
- ^ abDevelopment, PodBean. "Happy Times and Places BONUS - Michael McStay Interview | Doctor Who: Toby Hadoke's Time Travels". tobyhadoke.podbean.com. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^"Darius McStay". www.bodalgo.com. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^"Michael McStay Obituary (2025) - Advertiser & Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^"The Hairy Hand of Dartmoor". Genome Beta. Radio Times 1923–2009. BBC. 8 February 1999. Citing Radio Times issue 3912, 4 February 1999, p. 121. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
External links
- Michael McStay at IMDb
- Michael McStay on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
- Michael McStay at Theatricalia
