David de Keyser

David de Keyser (22 August 1927 – 20 February 2021) was a prolific English actor and narrator whose career spanned more than five decades, encompassing stage, screen, radio and voice‑over work. Born in London, he first appeared on film in the late 1950s and quickly became known for his resonant baritone, which directors such as John Boorman favored for memorable off‑screen characters. He supplied the eerie Voice of the Tabernacle in Zardoz (1974) and the mystical Voice of the Grail in Excalibur (1981), while also delivering solid supporting performances in movies like Catch Us If You Can (1965) and Leo the Last (1970). Throughout the 1960s he collaborated with avant‑garde playwright Jane Arden, appearing in televised dramas that examined marital discord, and he later became a familiar presence on British television, guest‑starring in series such as The Professionals, Yes, Prime Minister and Robin of Sherwood. Beyond visual media, de Keyser was a distinguished voice talent for British Pathé pictorials, radio comedy series, and commercial advertising, even serving as the inaugural announcer for the panel show Would I Lie to You?. His unmistakable voice can be heard on the DVD trailer for The Dark Crystal and the narration of the BBC Radio 4 comedy The Attractive Young Rabbi. He married anti‑apartheid activist Ethel de Keyser in 1949, a union that lasted a decade, and they had one son, Alexei, who pursued a career in production before his untimely death in 2004. David de Keyser passed away in February 2021 at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of diverse performances that continue to enrich British film and television history.