Trivia

Despite being known for playing villains, he was known to friends and co-stars as a very kind and friendly man.

Died of complications following surgery to remove a tumor from his lung. Survived by his son, Adam.

All of his dialogue in Beauty and the Beast (1991) was recorded during his audition for the film.

He appeared in both Beauty and the Beast (1987) and Beauty and the Beast (1991).

His trademark voice was often mistaken for that of Jay Robinson, whose own mischievous and "evil" sounding voice sounded remarkably similar. While Jay Robinson was most recognized for his narration of Beyond Bizarre (1997), Jay's voice acting talent was mostly confined to video games and cartoons. One of his last notable roles was that of the "Elder God" in the Legacy of Kain game series, a part he voiced from the franchise's debut.

He was born in England and became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

He appeared in two different series about Superman: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) and Superman: The Animated Series (1996).

He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England.

He was the voice of Caesars' wizard, Ceronomus, at Caesar's Magical Empire in Las Vegas.

He provided the voice of the Magic Mirror on the DVD Menus of the 2001 Platinum Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

He was cremated after his widow and son had a private funeral service for him at Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in its crematory. They buried his urn in a traditional grave plot.