Biography
John Van Eyssen was a South African-born British actor who later worked as a literary agent and film production executive. He moved to Britain after the Second World War and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His stage work included playing Lucifer in the York Cycle of Mystery Plays in 1951 and 1954, and Cassio in Orson Welles's 1951 production of Othello.
Van Eyssen appeared in British films from 1950, including Quatermass 2 (1957), The One That Got Away (1957), I'm All Right Jack (1959), Carry On Nurse (1959) and The Criminal (1960). He is best known for portraying Jonathan Harker in the Hammer production Dracula (1958). He left acting in 1961 to become a literary agent, later joining Columbia Pictures UK, where he rose to managing director in 1969.
