Derek Jacobi

Biography

Derek Jacobi is an English actor who began his career with Laurence Olivier as a founding member of the National Theatre. Born in Leytonstone, he first played Laertes in the National Theatre's Hamlet and Cassio in Othello, and his title role in the BBC series I, Claudius (1976) won him a British Academy Television Award. He has appeared in many Shakespearean stage productions, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. His awards include a Laurence Olivier Award for Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983, another Olivier for Malvolio in Twelfth Night in 2009, and a Tony for Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in 1985. His films include The Day of the Jackal (1973), Henry V (1989), Hamlet (1996), Gladiator (2000), Nanny McPhee (2005), My Week with Marilyn (2011), Cinderella (2015), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), and Gladiator II (2024). He received Emmys for The Tenth Man (1988) and Frasier (2001).

88years old

Turns 89 on October 22in 346 days

Born October 22, 1938Leytonstone
Star sign: LibraLast day of the sign, on the Scorpio cusp

Movie Career

Films: 48
Career span: 60 years1965 to 2025

Genres

Drama75%, 36 films
Adventure21%, 10 films
Biography19%, 9 films
Fantasy17%, 8 films
Action15%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Big break
Laurence Olivier spotted Jacobi's talent and brought the young actor back to London, where he became a founding member of the new National Theatre, despite Jacobi being relatively unknown then.
Behind the award
Jacobi won a Primetime Emmy for a Frasier guest spot in which he mocked his own Shakespearean background as the untalented Jackson Hedley.
First role
Jacobi's West End debut came in 1986 in Breaking the Code, playing Alan Turing in a role written specifically with him in mind.
Behind the camera
Jacobi made his directing debut for the Renaissance Theatre Company's 1988 touring production of Hamlet, serving as Kenneth Branagh's director; the production also played at Elsinore and in London.
Behind the camera
In 1995, Jacobi took the role of joint artistic director at the Chichester Festival Theatre, sharing the post with West End impresario Duncan Weldon for a three-year tenure.

Derek Jacobi movies on Netflix

Juliet & Romeo2025IMDb rating 3.8as Friar Lawrence
Tinsel Town2025IMDb rating 5.3as Albert
Gladiator II2024IMDb rating 6.4as Gracchus
Allelujah2023IMDb rating 6.0as Ambrose
Come Away2020IMDb rating 5.7as Mr. Brown
Horrible Histories: The Movie — Rotten Romans2019IMDb rating 5.4as Claudius
Tolkien2019IMDb rating 6.8as Professor Joseph Wright
Tomb Raider2018IMDb rating 6.3as Mr. Yaffe
Murder on the Orient Express2017IMDb rating 6.5as Edward Henry Masterman
Stratton2017IMDb rating 4.8as Ross
The History of Love2016IMDb rating 6.3as Leopold Gursky
Cinderella2015IMDb rating 6.9as King
Effie Gray2014IMDb rating 6.0as Travers Twiss
Anonymous2011IMDb rating 6.8as Prologue
Ironclad2011IMDb rating 6.1as Baron Reginald de Cornhill
My Week with Marilyn2011IMDb rating 6.9as Sir Owen Morshead
There Be Dragons2011IMDb rating 5.7as Honorio Soto
The King's Speech2010IMDb rating 8.0as Archbishop Cosmo Lang
Endgame2009IMDb rating 6.2as Rudolph Agnew
A Bunch of Amateurs2008IMDb rating 6.0as Nigel Dewberry
Adam Resurrected2008IMDb rating 6.2as Dr. Nathan Gross
The Golden Compass2007IMDb rating 6.1as Magisterial Emissary
Underworld: Evolution2006IMDb rating 6.7as Corvinus
Nanny McPhee2005IMDb rating 6.6as Mr. Wheen
Strings2004IMDb rating 6.9as Nezo (voice)
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson2004IMDb rating 8.3as Other Voices (voice)
Revengers Tragedy2002IMDb rating 6.5as The Duke
The Gathering Storm2002IMDb rating 7.4as Stanley Baldwin
Revelation2001IMDb rating 4.6as Librarian
The Body2001IMDb rating 5.4as Father Lavelle
Gladiator2000IMDb rating 8.5as Gracchus
Basil1998IMDb rating 5.8as Father Frederick
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon1998IMDb rating 6.5as Francis Bacon
Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7as King Claudius
Dead Again1991IMDb rating 6.8as Franklyn Madson
Henry V1989IMDb rating 7.4as Chorus
The Tenth Man1988IMDb rating 6.8as The Imposter
The Secret Garden1987IMDb rating 7.1as Archibald Craven
Enigma1982IMDb rating 5.9as Kurt Limmer
The Hunchback of Notre Dame1982IMDb rating 6.3as Dom Claude Frollo
The Secret of NIMH1982IMDb rating 7.5as Nicodemus (voice)
Richard II1978IMDb rating 8.0as Richard II
The Medusa Touch1978IMDb rating 6.9as Moulton - John's Publisher
Blue Blood1974IMDb rating 4.5as Gregory
The Odessa File1974IMDb rating 7.0as Klaus Wenzer
The Day of the Jackal1973IMDb rating 7.8as Caron
Three Sisters1970IMDb rating 6.3as Andrei
Othello1965IMDb rating 7.0as Cassio

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Gladiator2000 Action, Adventure, Dramaas Gracchus
IMDb rating 8.51.9M votes
The King's Speech2010 Biography, Drama, Historyas Archbishop Cosmo Lang
IMDb rating 8.0737K votes
Underworld: Evolution2006as Corvinus
IMDb rating 6.7219K votes
Tomb Raider2018as Mr. Yaffe
IMDb rating 6.3244K votes
Murder on the Orient Express2017as Edward Henry Masterman
IMDb rating 6.5325K votes
Gladiator II2024as Gracchus
IMDb rating 6.4313K votes
The Secret of NIMH1982as Nicodemusvoice
IMDb rating 7.549K votes
Cinderella2015as King
IMDb rating 6.9207K votes

Most often with

Kenneth Branagh directed five of these films, Ridley Scott two and Jack Gold two. Kenneth Branagh appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Kenneth Branagh

Colin Firth

Emma Thompson

Kristin Scott Thomas

Jim Carter

Celia Imrie

Kenneth BranaghDirector, 5 films

Ridley ScottDirector, 2 films Jack GoldDirector, 2 films

Films together

Kenneth Branagh5 films together, 1989 to 2017
Kenneth Branagh's page
- Murder on the Orient Express2017IMDb rating 6.5Jacobi as Edward Henry MastermanBranagh as Hercule Poirot
- My Week with Marilyn2011IMDb rating 6.9Jacobi as Sir Owen MorsheadBranagh as Sir Laurence Olivier
- Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7Jacobi as King ClaudiusBranagh as Prince Hamlet
- Dead Again1991IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as Franklyn MadsonBranagh as Roman Strauss / Mike Church
- Henry V1989IMDb rating 7.4Jacobi as ChorusBranagh as King Henry V
Colin Firth3 films together, 1987 to 2010
Colin Firth's page
- The King's Speech2010IMDb rating 8.0Jacobi as Archbishop Cosmo LangFirth as King George VI
- Nanny McPhee2005IMDb rating 6.6Jacobi as Mr. WheenFirth as Mr. Brown
- The Secret Garden1987IMDb rating 7.1Jacobi as Archibald CravenFirth as Adult Colin Craven
Emma Thompson3 films together, 1991 to 2014
Emma Thompson's page
- Effie Gray2014IMDb rating 6.0Jacobi as Travers TwissThompson as Lady Eastlake
- Nanny McPhee2005IMDb rating 6.6Jacobi as Mr. WheenThompson as Nanny McPhee
- Dead Again1991IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as Franklyn MadsonThompson as Grace / Margaret Strauss
Kristin Scott Thomas3 films together, 1988 to 2018
Kristin Scott Thomas's page
- Tomb Raider2018IMDb rating 6.3Jacobi as Mr. YaffeThomas as Ana Miller
- The Golden Compass2007IMDb rating 6.1Jacobi as Magisterial EmissaryThomas as Stelmariavoice
- The Tenth Man1988IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as The ImposterThomas as Therese Mangeot
Jim Carter3 films together, 1988 to 2011
Jim Carter's page
- My Week with Marilyn2011IMDb rating 6.9Jacobi as Sir Owen MorsheadCarter as Barry
- The Golden Compass2007IMDb rating 6.1Jacobi as Magisterial EmissaryCarter as John Faa
- The Tenth Man1988IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as The ImposterCarter as Pierre
Celia Imrie3 films together, 2001 to 2005
Celia Imrie's page
- Nanny McPhee2005IMDb rating 6.6Jacobi as Mr. WheenImrie as Mrs. Quickly
- The Gathering Storm2002IMDb rating 7.4Jacobi as Stanley BaldwinImrie as Violet Pearman
- Revelation2001IMDb rating 4.6Jacobi as LibrarianImrie as Harriet Martel
Kenneth BranaghDirector, 5 films, 1989 to 2017
All films by Kenneth Branagh
- Murder on the Orient Express2017IMDb rating 6.5Jacobi as Edward Henry Masterman
- Cinderella2015IMDb rating 6.9Jacobi as King
- Hamlet1996IMDb rating 7.7Jacobi as King Claudius
- Dead Again1991IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as Franklyn Madson
- Henry V1989IMDb rating 7.4Jacobi as Chorus
Ridley ScottDirector, 2 films, 2000 to 2024
All films by Ridley Scott
- Gladiator II2024IMDb rating 6.4Jacobi as Gracchus
- Gladiator2000IMDb rating 8.5Jacobi as Gracchus
Jack GoldDirector, 2 films, 1978 to 1988
All films by Jack Gold
- The Tenth Man1988IMDb rating 6.8Jacobi as The Imposter
- The Medusa Touch1978IMDb rating 6.9Jacobi as Moulton - John's Publisher
Also three films together1 more actor
- Connie NielsenGladiator II (2024), Stratton (2017) and Gladiator (2000)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Derek Jacobi's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$3.3 billion

23 of the 47 films have a worldwide figure.

23Worldwide figure
6US gross only
6Never in cinemas
11Figure not found
1Too new to count

Top grosser

Cinderella2015King$544 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 92% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Cinderella2015as King
$544M16.5% of the total
2
Gladiator2000as Gracchus
$466M14.2% of the total
3
Gladiator II2024as Gracchus
$462M14.1% of the total
4
The King's Speech2010as Archbishop Cosmo Lang
$414M12.6% of the total
5
The Golden Compass2007as Magisterial Emissary
$372M11.3% of the total
6
Murder on the Orient Express2017as Edward Henry Masterman
$353M10.7% of the total
7
Tomb Raider2018as Mr. Yaffe
$275M8.4% of the total
8
Nanny McPhee2005as Mr. Wheen
$123M3.8% of the total

Underworld: Evolution (2006), $111 million

My Week with Marilyn (2011), $35.1 million

The Day of the Jackal (1973), $16.1 million

The Secret of NIMH (1982), $14.7 million

Horrible Histories: The Movie — Rotten Romans (2019), $3.8 million

$276 millionfrom the other 15 films with a worldwide figure, 8% of the total

Awards

Nine awards and honors from 1976 to 2009, four of them major.

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Derek Jacobi's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
BAFTA
1976	Best Actor	I, Claudius	Won
Emmy Awards
2001	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	Frasier, season 8	Won
1989	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	The Tenth Man	Won
Tony Awards
1985	Best Actor in a Play	Much Ado About Nothing	Won
Other honors
2009	Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor	Twelfth Night	Won
1994	Knight Bachelor		Won
1989	Knight of the 1st Class of the Order of the Dannebrog		Won
1985	Commander of the Order of the British Empire		Won
1983	Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a Revival	Cyrano de Bergerac	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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