Derek Jacobi
Date of Birth: October 22, 1938 (87)
Birth Place: London, ENGLAND
Latest News on Derek Jacobi:
BIO
Derek Jacobi began his professional stage career as a founding member of the National Theatre, appearing in Hamlet (1963) and Othello (stage production and 1965 film). He also appeared in Three Sisters (1970) and originated a role in Black Comedy (1965). After leaving the National Theatre in 1971, he worked in television, including Man of Straw (1972) and The Pallisers (1974), while continuing stage work with the Prospect Theatre Company. His breakthrough came with the lead role in I, Claudius (1976). He also appeared in Richard II (1978) and toured internationally in Hamlet (1979).
In the 1980s, Jacobi joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and made his Broadway debut in The Suicide (1980). He won a Tony Award for Much Ado About Nothing (1984–1985) and appeared in productions including The Tempest, Peer Gynt, and Cyrano de Bergerac. He starred in Breaking the Code (1986) and performed Richard II and Richard III in repertory (1988). His screen work during this period included Inside the Third Reich (1982), The Secret of NIMH (voice role), Little Dorrit, and Henry V.
In the 1990s, Jacobi continued stage work in productions such as Kean, Becket, and Macbeth, and served as artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre (1995–1998). He starred in the television series Cadfael (1994–1998) and appeared in films including Dead Again, Hamlet, and Love Is the Devil. He also appeared in Gladiator.
From the 2000s onward, Jacobi continued work across film, television, and stage. He appeared in Frasier (2001), winning a Primetime Emmy Award, and in productions such as The Hollow Crown (2002). He performed in Doctor Who (2007) and appeared in films including Nanny McPhee and Underworld: Evolution. He starred in The Long Firm (2004) and Pinochet in Suburbia (2006), and returned to the stage in A Voyage Round My Father (2006) and Twelfth Night (2009), winning a Laurence Olivier Award.
Jacobi later appeared in Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2014) and Vicious (2013–2016). He reprised roles in Doctor Who audio productions (from 2017) and appeared in Les Misérables (2018) and Allelujah.
Photos
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SIR MICHAEL GAMBON as Hirst and SIR DEREK JACOBI as Spooner in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land (first performed at the NT in 1975 with Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson)
From: Photo Coverage: NT50 - The National Theatre's Birthday Celebrations, With Dench, Mirren, And More!
STAGE CREDITS
See how Derek Jacobi connects to other Broadway stars and creatives.
Six Degrees of Broadway Beta
See how many degrees separate Derek Jacobi from another Broadway star or creative.
Derek Jacobi
Connection
Movies
[ 1968 ] Paul
[ 1970 ] Andrei
[ 1973 ] Caron
[ 1974 ] Gregory
[ 1974 ] Klaus Wenzer
[ 1978 ] Moulton - John's Publisher
[ 1979 ] Arthur Davis
[ 1980 ] Martin Beck
[ 1981 ] Daberlohn
[ 1982 ] Nicodemus
[ 1987 ] Arthur Clennam
[ 1989 ] Chorus
[ 1990 ] Mr. Frederick, Sir John
[ 1991 ] Franklyn Madson
[ 1996 ] Claudius
[ 1998 ] Father Frederick
[ 1998 ] Francis Bacon
[ 1999 ] Father Leonor Fousnel
[ 2000 ] Gracchus
[ 2000 ] Lucky Leadbetter
[ 2001 ] Father Lavelle
[ 2001 ] Librarian
[ 2001 ] Narrator
[ 2001 ] Probert
[ 2001 ] Theseus
[ 2002 ] Duke
[ 2002 ] Major Merton
[ 2004 ] Nezo
[ 2004 ] Victor
[ 2005 ] Lord Dempsey
[ 2005 ] Mr Wheen
[ 2006 ] Corvinus Sir Derek Jacobi
[ 2007 ] Balzer
[ 2007 ] Guido, Commander
[ 2007 ] Magisterial Emissary
[ 2008 ] Dr. Nathan Gross
[ 2008 ] Nigel Dewberry
[ 2009 ] Quentin Neely
[ 2009 ] Rudolph Agnew
[ 2010 ] Archbishop Cosmo Lang
[ 2010 ] Derek Jacobi
[ 2011 ] Baron Reginald de Cornhill
[ 2011 ] Honorio Soto
[ 2011 ] King Lear
[ 2011 ] Prologue
[ 2011 ] Sir Owen Morshead
[ 2012 ] Sulla
[ 2014 ] Count Fernando D Aillieres Sir Derek Jacobi
[ 2014 ] Travers Twiss
[ 2015 ] King
[ 2016 ] Léo Gursky
[ 2016 ] Lord Fortnum
[ 2016 ] Mercutio
[ 2017 ] Edward Henry Mterman
[ 2017 ] Ross
[ 2018 ] Mr. Yaffe
[ 2019 ] Claudius
[ 2019 ] Lord Palmerston
[ 2019 ] Professor Wright
[ 2020 ] Dr. Hobson
[ 2020 ] Father Enoch
[ 2020 ] Mr Brown
[ 2021 ] David
[ 2021 ] Narrator
[ 2022 ] Ambrose
[ 2024 ] Gracchus
[ 2024 ] Gracchus
[ 2025 ] Friar Lawrence
[ 2025 ]
[ 2025 ]
[ 2025 ] Lucian Freud
TV Shows
Webster, Dennis Fulcher
Alan
Narrator, Lord Henry
Brother Cadfael
The Stranger, Drioli
Stuart Bixby
[ 2024 ] Rupert
[ 2024 ] Mr. Todd
[ 2024 ] The Master
[ 2024 ] Audio Book Narrator
[ 2019-2026 ] Metatron
[ 2017-2026 ] The War Master (voice)
[ 2003-2027 ] The Master
Awards and Nominations
Derek Jacobi, King Lear
winner
Derek Jacobi, Twelfth Night
Derek Jacobi, Don Carlos
winner
Derek Jacobi, Uncle Vanya
winner
Derek Jacobi, Uncle Vanya
winner
Derek Jacobi, Breaking The Code
Derek Jacobi, Breaking the Code
Derek Jacobi, Breaking the Code
Derek Jacobi, Breaking The Code
Derek Jacobi, Cyrano de Bergerac
Derek Jacobi, Much Ado About Nothing
winner
Derek Jacobi, Much Ado About Nothing
winner
Derek Jacobi, Cyrano De Bergerac
Derek Jacobi, The Suicide
Derek Jacobi, Ivanov
Derek Jacobi, Hamlet
Videos
Olivia Colman Joins ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING Season 6 Cast in London
by Rachel Stone - 2026-08-19 13:47:58
Video: JULIET & ROMEO Star Jamie Ward Teases 'Insane' Pop Music in New Film
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-14 15:55:03
Exclusive: Rebel Wilson Shares Personal Connections to JULIET & ROMEO Role
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-09 14:08:31
Exclusive: Jamie Ward Explains How the Music of JULIET & ROMEO Transforms a Familiar Tale
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-09 12:21:04
Video: Rebel Wilson Teases JULIET & ROMEO Pop Musical on LIVE WITH KELLY AND MARK
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-05-08 12:43:44
Video: Paul Mescal Sings in GLADIATOR II Musical Parody on SNL
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-12-08 10:04:50
VIDEO: Watch the Official Trailer For the Digital Production of WHAT A CARVE UP!
by Stephi Wild - 2020-10-26 09:33:02
VIDEO: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins Star in the Second Trailer for TOLKIEN
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-03-06 10:01:17
News
by Rachel Stone - Aug 19, 2026
Olivia Colman is set to join Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as the mystery-solving trio relocates to London for Only Murders in the Building's sixth season.
by Gary Naylor - Jul 24, 2026
Tremendous wit and energy drive an accomplished show created in no time at all!
by Stephi Wild - Jul 6, 2026
Denville Hall, a residential care home for performing arts professionals, announced Theatre Gives Day, with ambassadors including Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen making curtain call appearances across West End venues to support its £26 million Centenary Appeal.
by Josh Sharpe - Jun 15, 2026
Joining the cast of Only Murders in the Building Season 6 are stage and screen star David Tennant, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, Doctor Who alum Jodie Whittaker, Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent, comedian Richard Ayoade, Adrian Lukis, and Olivier Award winner Kathryn Hunter.
by - Jun 12, 2026
Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is June 12, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
by Josh Sharpe - Jun 11, 2026
Joining the cast of Only Murders in the Building Season 6 are stage and screen star Derek Jacobi, Olivier winner Anjana Vasan, Olivier nominee Jane Horrocks, Sherlock star Martin Freeman, comedian Jamie Demetriou, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell Horner, and Downton Abbey's Lesley Nicol.
by Franco Milazzo - May 28, 2026
There is exactly one joke in Peter Shaffer's 1965 farce: when the lights come on, the characters are in the dark. Everything else — the borrowed furniture, the hapless sculptor, the stern colonel, the ex-girlfriend arriving at the worst possible moment — is just escalation.
by Stephi Wild - May 27, 2026
Darlington Hippodrome announced its upcoming summer season brochure, featuring theatre, live entertainment, family shows, and star appearances at the North East venue.
by Gary Naylor - Apr 26, 2026
Zeb Soanes captures the voice perfectly to give us the life and times of a huge figure in 20th century acting on stage and screen
by Nicole Rosky - Apr 25, 2026
Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of Joe Brancato, founding Artistic Director, and Andrew M. Horn, Executive Director, announced that casting is complete for the New York premiere of Deborah Brevoort’s My Lord, What a Night, which officially kicks off the company’s 49th season.
by R. Scott Reedy - Apr 11, 2026
What did our critic think of BREAKING THE CODE at Central Square Theater?
by Stephi Wild - Mar 24, 2026
All new photos have been released from Acting for Others 10th year anniversary of One Night Only at the newly opened and refurbished Simpson's on the Strand on Sunday 22nd March. Check out the photos here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 13, 2026
Acting for Others has announced the return of its much-loved fundraising event, One Night Only, to the newly reopened Simpson’s on the Strand. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the special one-night-only celebration.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 6, 2026
Dame Siân Phillips and Alex Jennings will bring ancient Greek stories to life at Haverhill Arts Centre on March 28. Directed by David Stuttard, the performance explores themes of love, betrayal, and wisdom through classical literature.
by Stephi Wild - Jan 20, 2026
Renowned director Sir Trevor Nunn returns to Arts Theatre Cambridge to direct EASY VIRTUE, featuring Alice Orr-Ewing, Michael Praed, and Greta Scacchi.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 3, 2025
Greenwich Theatre has announced its Spring Summer 2026 season featuring the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's America The Beautiful, a vivid new Romeo and Juliet, The Little Mermaid and the 2026 Greenwich Theatre Pantomime
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 2, 2025
Greenwich Theatre will unveil an expansive Spring/Summer 2026 season featuring four in-house productions, new writing initiatives, and performances from visiting companies.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 2, 2025
Greenwich Theatre has unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 season featuring the UK premiere of Neil LaBute's America The Beautiful, The Little Mermaid, and more!
by Stephi Wild - Nov 13, 2025
With just two weeks to curtain up, final touches are being made to the beautifully reimagined auditorium, and anticipation is building across the city for the return of one of Cambridge's most cherished cultural landmarks.
by Stephi Wild - Oct 30, 2025
The Olivier Award-winning Oedipus, an adaptation created and directed by Robert Icke, will begin performances on Broadway on Thursday, October 30, 2025. Meet the cast of Oedipus here!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Derek Jacobi has appeared on Broadway in 5 shows.
Derek Jacobi has appeared on London's West End in 1 shows.
Derek Jacobi's first West End show was Romeo and Juliet which opened in 2016
Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for King Lear, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Twelfth Night, Best Actor (Olivier Awards) for Don Carlos, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Uncle Vanya, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Uncle Vanya , Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Helen Hayes Awards) for Breaking The Code, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Breaking the Code, Outstanding Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Breaking the Code, Actor of the Year (Olivier Awards) for Breaking The Code, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Cyrano de Bergerac, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Much Ado About Nothing, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Much Ado About Nothing, Actor of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for Cyrano De Bergerac, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Suicide, Actor of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for Ivanov and Actor of the Year in a Revival (Olivier Awards) for Hamlet.
Derek Jacobi has received numerous prestigious theatrical awards throughout his career. He won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in Twelfth Night. He earned the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for Uncle Vanya, and also received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play for the same production. Additionally, Jacobi won the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Non-Resident Production for Breaking The Code. He also received the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for Much Ado About Nothing.
