Erudite comedian and actor. Born in Largs (North Ayrshire), Sessions moved south with his family as a child. He was educated in Bedford and St. Albans, before reading English literature at university in Bangor (Wales), with postgraduate study at McMaster University in Canada. He then trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. At this point, Sessions changed his name because there was already an actor called John Marshall. He went on to excel in improvisation on the comedy club circuit and was soon appearing on radio and television in programme such as Spitting Image (1986), Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988-99), Have I Got News for You (1992) and QI (2003-12). His one-man TV shows were surreal. Amongst his numerous roles, Sessions played in Shakespearean on stage and screen. He also played James Boswell (with Robbie Coltrane as Samuel Johnson) in Boswell and Johnson's Tour of the Western Isles for UK TV in 1993.
He died at his home in London.
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