Throughout his career, Jayston appeared in plays, films, and British television shows like The Good Guys, Emmerdale, and Doctor Who.
In the beloved British comedy, Jayston portrayed the father of lead character Derek “Del Boy” Trotter (Sir David Jason), who was long-term boyfriend of Rachel “Raquel” Turner (Tessa Peake-Jones).
His representative stated that he passed away following a brief illness.
Jayston, who plays antiques dealer James in the episode Time On Our Hands, is invited to a dinner at Del’s apartment. Naturally, something goes wrong with the coffee—gravy, rather.
The family eventually becomes millionaires at an auction after James finds an antique pocket watch in the garage and tells Del and his brother Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) that it was produced by renowned clockmaker John Harrison in the eighteenth century and is worth a fortune.
“Michael Jayston sadly passed away this morning after a short illness,” the family released a statement.
“Those who knew Michael will attest to his loveliness, humor, and contentment. He loved traveling the world to meet his admirers.
“His family and friends would appreciate privacy at this time.”
Jayston began performing on stage in the 1960s, which led to television appearances in King Lear, Macbeth, and The Merchant of Venice.
In the historical drama Nicholas and Alexandra from the 1970s, he also played Nicholas II of Russia.
