Derek Jacobi - Biography

Last Editor: mmsusumm				Derek Jacobi Biography -   Name : Derek Jacobi Date of birth : 22 October 1938 Place of birth : Leytonstone, London, England, UK Birth name : Derek George Jacobi Height : 5' 11

Derek Jacobi Trivia -

Was the mentor and acting instructor of Kenneth Branagh. He won a Tony in 1985 for "Much Ado About Nothing." Was on the short list of actors considered for the role of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) He and Laurence Olivier are the only actors to have received both a Danish and a British Knighthood. Awarded CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 1985 He was knighted in 1994. Charlton Heston and Ronnie Barker had been considered for the role of Claudius in "I, Claudius" (1976) (mini) before he landed the role. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1984 (1983 season) for Best Actor in a Revival for Cyrano de Bergerac. He was awarded the 1983 London Critics Circle Theatre Award (Drama Theatre Award) for Best Actor for his performances in Cyrano de Bergerac and Much Ado About Nothing. He was awarded the 1983 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing. An Associate Member of RADA. Has a Victorian home in London, England. Replaced Donald Sutherland as Franklyn Madson in Dead Again (1991). Won Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." He was also Tony-nominated in the same category in 1988 for "Breaking the Code." Is a native of Leytonstone, in London's East End, which has also produced film maker Alfred Hitchcock, TV journalists & presenters Jonathan Ross and Paul Ross, TV cook Fanny Cradock, Bangra-DnB composer/producer Talvin Singh, Iron-Maiden bassist/songwriter Steve Harris, former England cricket captain Graham Gooch, and England soccer captain David Beckham. On the shortlist of actors considered for the main guest lead of Captain Rorvik (played by Clifford Rose) in the episode "Warriors' Gate" of "Doctor Who" (1963).

Derek Jacobi Detailed Biography -

Derek Jacobi was invited to join the National Theatre Company in London by Sir Laurence Olivier - and his brilliant work as a theatre actor since the early 1960s earned him a legendary reputation as one of England's finest actors. In 1985, he received a Tony for his role as Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing, and he has famously acted as the mentor and acting instructor of Kenneth Branagh. From his debut as Cassio in Olivier's OTHELLO (1965), he has also starred in over 50 feature films, including THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1973); THE ODESSA FILE (1974); THE MEDUSA TOUCH (1978); LITTLE DORRIT (1988); HENRY V (1989); DEAD AGAIN (1991); LOOKING FOR RICHARD (1996) HAMLET (1996), LOVE IS THE DEVIL (which earned him awards for Best Performance at Edinburgh Film Festival and Best Actor by Evening Standard British Film Award 1998); JOAN OF ARC (2000); GLADIATOR (2000) and GOSFORD PARK (2001). His many memorable television performances include Claudius in I, CLAUDIUS (1976); Hamlet in HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK (1980) Hitler in INSIDE THE THIRD REICH (1982) Cyrano de Bergerac in CYRANO DE BERGERAC (1985) and Alan Turing in BREAKING THE CODE (1996). Jacobi has also received both a British and a Danish Knighthood, and was made British Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1985, and Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1994. Jacobi has previously worked with Paul Cox on MOLOKAI - THE STORY OF FATHER DAMIEN, which was filmed in Hawaii in 1998.