John James Jackson was born in Liverpool on the 15th of July, 1934 and performed in amateur dramatics before training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Lamda), and then taking the stage name David. He gained experience at the Old Vic Theatre and was in rep. at Ipswich, Farnham, Chesterfield, Liverpool and Manchester. He broke into television with a regular role, as Lofty, in the final two series of the sitcom 'The Larkins' (1963-64), which starred Peggy Mount as the bellowing and bawling head of a cockney family. This was followed by a string of bit-parts in series such as 'The Saint', 'Redcap', 'The Avengers', 'Thriller', 'The Sweeney', Minder', 'Cribb', 'Edge of Darkness' and 'The Liver Birds'. His feature appearances on the big screen included when he played a policeman in the film '10 Rillington Place' (1970), about the serial killer John Christie, a nurse in the chiller 'Blood From the Mummy's Tomb' (1971), 'The Big Sleep' (1978) and the cult horror film 'Killer's Moon (1978). After taking four roles in 'Z-Cars', as both criminals and policemen (1965-71), he returned to the classic television series as Det Con Braithwaite on and off between 1972 and 1978, before joining 'Blake's 7' (1978), where he became well known as the ill-fated Olag Gan in the first two seasons.
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As Olag Gan in 'Blake's 7'
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Playing Olag Gan brought David a legion of fans who made cult heroes of the gentle giant and his fellow 'revolutionaries' fighting the Fascist forces of the Terran Federation in the BBC television sci-fi series. Looking like a futuristic version of Robin Hood's Little John, Gan was among those who met Blake (Gareth Thomas) in the prison ship London, on the planet Cygnus Alpha, in the second century of the third calendar. Gan was the muscle, if not the brain, of the crew, proving to be a brave and loyal follower of Blake, and the strongest advocate for morality among an assortment of convicts and dissidents. However David was one of three actors whose characters were killed off after two series (1978-79). Gan became the first of the Liberator crew to die, after a failed attack on Control, the Federation's communications centre on Earth. 'Blakes 7' ran for a further two series. David was a science-fiction fan throughout his career and was happy to be associated with 'Blake's 7' years after the series ended. He also appeared in three roles in the second season of 'Space:1999' – as Alien Strong and the voice of the Judges in 'The Rules Of Luton' and then as the voice of the Plasma Alien Leader in 'The Bringers Of Wonder' Part 1 and 'The Bringers Of Wonder' Part 2.
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As the Vicar in 'Wyatt's Watchdogs'
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His first West End appearance was as P.C. Nash in 'Sound of Murder' at the Aldwych. Later, he played Lazar Wolf, the butcher, in the London revival of 'Fiddler on the Roof ' (Apollo Victoria Theatre, 1983) and Monsieur Lefèvre, the retiring theatre owner, in the original West End production of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (Her Majesty's Theatre, 1986-87), also singing on the musical's soundtrack album. In 1988 he showed his considerable comic talent in playing the Vicar alongside Brian Wilde in six episodes of the BBC1 sitcom 'Wyatt's Watchdogs'. His great passion was for Victorian theatre and at one stage he produced and starred in a one-man show. Other theatre appearances included roles at the Old Vic, The Royal Court, the RSC and in the West End. Later he starred with Karin Fernald in a two-handed play, 'My House Guest, Dr Johnson', first performed at the National Portrait Gallery's Gallery Theatre in 2000. In 2002, he provided his voice talent to the audio drama 'Sarah Jane Smith: Comeback, part of the Doctor Who audio spinoffs by Big Finish Productions.
David Jackson died of a heart attack on the 25th of July 2005, aged 71, just ten days after his 71st birthday. He left behind his wife Anne and 19-year-old son Stuart.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2023/10/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-del.html
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