![]() He played Laertes in the National Theatre's inaugural production of Hamlet opposite Peter O'Toole in 1963. Jacobi's talent was recognised by Laurence Olivier, who invited the young actor back to London to become one of the founding members of the new National Theatre, even though at the time Jacobi was relatively unknown. Main article: Derek Jacobi on screen and stage Early work As a result of his performance of Edward II at Cambridge, Jacobi was invited to become a member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre immediately upon his graduation in 1960. During his studies at Cambridge, Jacobi played many parts including Hamlet, which was taken on a tour to Switzerland, where he met Richard Burton. Younger members of the university at the time included Ian McKellen (who had a crush on him-"a passion that was undeclared and unrequited", as McKellen relates it) and Trevor Nunn. At 18 he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where he read history at St John's College and earned his degree. While in the sixth form, he starred in a production of Hamlet, which was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and very well regarded. In his teens he went to Leyton County High School for Boys, now known as the Leyton Sixth Form College, and became an integral part of the drama club, The Players of Leyton. ![]() ![]() His family was working-class, and Jacobi describes his childhood as happy. His patrilineal great-grandfather had emigrated from Germany to England during the 19th century. Jacobi has also earned two Screen Actors Guild Awards along with the ensemble cast for Robert Altman's Gosford Park (2001), and Tom Hooper's The King's Speech (2010).ĭerek George Jacobi was born on 22 October 1938 in Leytonstone, Essex, England, the only child of Daisy Gertrude (née Masters 1910–1980), a secretary who worked in a drapery store in Leyton High Road, and Alfred George Jacobi (1910–1993), who ran a sweet shop and was a tobacconist in Chingford. Though principally a stage actor, Jacobi has appeared in a number of films, including Othello (1965), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), Hamlet (1996), Gladiator (2000), Nanny McPhee (2005), The Riddle (2007), My Week with Marilyn (2011), Anonymous (2011), Cinderella (2015), and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). He portrayed Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in the third season of the acclaimed Netflix series The Crown in 2019. He is also known for his roles in the medieval drama series Cadfael (1994–1998), the HBO film The Gathering Storm (2002), the ITV sitcom Vicious (2013-2016) and in BBC's Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020). He received two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for The Tenth Man (1988), and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Frasier (2001). ![]() Jacobi has also made numerous television appearances including starring as Claudius in the BBC series I, Claudius (1976), for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. He also won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in 1985. Jacobi received the Laurence Olivier Award, for the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and Malvolio in Twelfth Night in 2009. 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 started his professional acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the founding members of the National Theatre. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994. 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. Jacobi is known for his work at the Royal National Theatre and for his film and television roles. Sir Derek George Jacobi CBE ( / ˈ dʒ æ k ə b i/ born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Recorded 2012, as part of an audio description of the Old Vic Theatre for VocalEyes
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