Michael Brandon

Michael Brandon (born Michael Feldman; April 20, 1945) is an American actor. He is known for his role as James Dempsey in the British drama series Dempsey and Makepeace (1985–1986). His theatre credits include the original Broadway production of Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? (1969), and playing Jerry Springer in the West End production of Jerry Springer: The Opera (2003–2004). Early life Brandon was born Michael Feldman in Brooklyn, New York, to Miriam (née Tumen) and Sol Feldman. At age nine, he and his family moved to Valley Stream, New York where he attended Memorial Junior High and graduated from Valley Stream Central High School. Brandon then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and made his debut on Broadway before turning to cinema. He is of Jewish extraction. Career Brandon starred in the TV series Dempsey and Makepeace and Dinotopia, the movies Quattro mosche di velluto grigio (1971), F.M. (1978), A Vacation In Hell (1979) and A Change of Seasons (1980), and the plays Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and Jerry Springer - The Opera. Since moving to the UK, Brandon has worked in television shows such as The Bill, Trial and Retribution, and Dead Man Weds. He also played the title role in the musical Jerry Springer: The Opera for over a year in the National Theatre and after its transfer into the West End. Brandon starred in Singin' in the Rain in the summer of 2012. In 2003, he became the third U.S. narrator of the children's television series Thomas & Friends from 2003 to 2012, replacing Alec Baldwin. In February 2008, he began his talk radio show on City Talk (now Greatest Hits Radio Liverpool & The North West), a new local radio station in Liverpool. In 2008, he appeared in the Series 4 finale of the BBC's Doctor Who, as General Sanchez, a UNIT officer. Also in 2008, he appeared in the television series Bones, as Roger Frampton, an American millionaire.