Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', '' Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ''King Lear'', and '' Romeo and Juliet''. He has also performed in Anton Chekhov's ''Uncle Vanya'' and Edmond Rostand's ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 and is a member of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog.

In addition to being a founder member of the Royal National Theatre and winning several prestigious theatre awards, Jacobi has also made numerous television appearances, starring in the 1976 adaptation of Robert Graves's ''I, Claudius'', for which he won a BAFTA; in the titular role in the medieval drama series ''Cadfael'' (1994–1998), as Stanley Baldwin in '' The Gathering Storm'' (2002), as the Master in '' Doctor Who'' (2007), as Stuart Bixby in the ITV comedy '' Vicious'' (2013–2016) and as Alan Buttershaw in ''Last Tango in Halifax'' (2012–2020). In 2019, he played Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in the third season of the critically acclaimed Netflix series ''The Crown''.

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), ''Gosford Park'' (2001), ''Nanny McPhee'' (2005), '' The Riddle'' (2007), ''The King's Speech'' (2010), '' My Week with Marilyn'' (2011), '' Anonymous'' (2011), ''Cinderella'' (2015), and ''Murder on the Orient Express'' (2017).

Jacobi has twice been awarded a Laurence Olivier Award, first for his performance of the eponymous hero in ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' in 1983 and the second for his Malvolio in ''Twelfth Night'' in 2009. He also received a Tony Award for his performance in ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in 1984. Jacobi has also 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 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).

Early life

Jacobi, an only child, was born on 22 October 1938 in Leytonstone, Essex, England, the son 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. His patrilineal great-grandfather had emigrated from Germany to England during the 19th century. He also has a distant Huguenot ancestor. His family was working-class, and Jacobi describes his childhood as happy. 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.

While in the sixth form, he starred in a production of ''Hamlet,'' which was taken to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and very well regarded. At 18 he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where he read history at St John's College and earned his degree. 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. During his studies at Cambridge, Jacobi played many parts including ''Hamlet'', which was taken on a tour to Switzerland, where he met Richard Burton. 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.

Career

Early work

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. He played Laertes in the National Theatre's inaugural production of ''Hamlet'' opposite Peter O'Toole in 1963. Olivier cast him as Cassio in the successful National Theatre stage production of '' Othello'', a role that Jacobi repeated in the 1965 film version. He played Andrei in the NT production and film of '' Three Sisters'' (1970), both featuring Olivier. On 27 July 1965, Jacobi played Brindsley Miller in the first production of Peter Shaffer's ''Black Comedy''. It was presented by the National Theatre at Chichester and subsequently in London.

After eight years at the National Theatre, Jacobi left in 1971 to pursue different roles. In 1972, he starred in the BBC
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