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Derek Jacobi

File:Sir_Derek_Jacobi.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Derek Jacobi

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Also known as Sir Derek George Jacobi

English actor (born 1938)

OverviewAI-generated

Derek Jacobi is a British television, film, and stage actor who began his professional career in 1961. Born on October 22, 1938, in Leytonstone, he is a citizen of the United Kingdom and resides in West Hampstead. He has worked with the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. His acting work spans drama fiction and historical film genres.

Jacobi has received several major honors, including the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Knight Bachelor, a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. He was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He is a gay man who speaks English.

He attended the University of Cambridge, St John's College, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Among his recorded works are *The Secret of NIMH*, *Gospel of Luke*, *Classic Crimes of Passion*, *Last Will and Testament*, and *The War Master 3 - Rage of the Time Lords*.

Synthesized by Vinony from 32 facts across 8 sources: Wikidata, Crossref, Open Library, MusicBrainz, Last.fm, TMDb, Wikiquote, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works
15

Top works

  • The Secret of NIMH
  • Gospel of Luke
  • Classic Crimes of Passion
  • Last Will and Testament
  • The War Master 3 - Rage of the Time Lords

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Leytonstone, London, England, UK

Sir Derek George Jacobi CBE (born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Jacobi is known for his work at the Royal National Theatre and for his film and television roles. He has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony Award. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth…

Known for

  • Moss & Freud — Lucian Freud2026
  • Broken English — The Narrator2026
  • Heartstopper Forever2026
  • Juliet & Romeo — The Friar2025
  • Tinsel Town — Albert2025
  • Gladiator II — Gracchus2024
  • Dame Maggie Smith - A Celebration — Self2024
  • Ludwig — Mr. Todd2024
  • Allelujah — Ambrose2023
  • The Martini Shot — Errol2023

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Country
England
Active from
1938

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
499
Total plays
8,465

Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE, ( /ˈdʒækəbi/; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor and film director. A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing. His stage work also includes playing notable historical figures such as Edward II, Octavius Caesar, Richard III of England, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

via Last.fm · Derek Jacobi

Quotes

  • The only ego I've got is when I'm performing.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Born
( 1938-10-22 ) 22 October 1938 (age 87) , Leytonstone , Essex, England
Alma mater
St John's College, Cambridge
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1959–present
Works
Full list
Partner
Richard Clifford (1979–present)
Awards
Full list

via Wikipedia infobox

~19 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Sir Derek George Jacobi (/ˈdʒækəbi/; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen as well as for his work at the Royal National Theatre, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a British Academy Television Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994.

Jacobi started his professional acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the founding members of the National Theatre. He has appeared in numerous Shakespearean stage productions including Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. Jacobi received the Laurence Olivier Award, for the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and Malvolio in Twelfth Night in 2009. He also won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in 1985.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Derek Jacobi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (7)