Jeremy Irons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeremy Irons
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Irons in 2014
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Jeremy John Irons
19 September 1948 Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
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| Alma mater | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1969-present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, including Max |
| Awards | Full list |
Jeremy John Irons (born 19 September 1948) is a famous English actor. He is known for his many roles in plays and movies. He has won several important awards, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. He is one of the few actors to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, meaning he has won an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony Award.
Jeremy Irons studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He started his acting career on stage in 1969. He performed in many West End plays in London. These included Shakespeare plays like The Winter's Tale and Macbeth. In 1984, he made his Broadway debut in the play The Real Thing. For this role, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
His first big movie role was in The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor for this film. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Reversal of Fortune (1990). Some of his other well-known films include Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005). He also voiced Scar in Disney's The Lion King (1994). He played Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe movies from 2016 to 2023.
On television, Irons became very famous for playing Charles Ryder in the series Brideshead Revisited (1981). He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the miniseries Elizabeth I (2005). He also starred as Pope Alexander VI in the historical series The Borgias (2011–2013). In 2011, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
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Early Life and Education
Jeremy John Irons was born on 19 September 1948. He was born in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England. His father, Paul Dugan Irons, was an accountant. His mother was Barbara Anne Brereton Brymer. Jeremy has an older brother, Christopher, and an older sister, Felicity Anne.
He went to Sherborne School in Dorset from 1962 to 1966. While at school, he was the drummer and harmonica player. He was part of a four-person band called the Four Pillars of Wisdom.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Work and Stage Roles
Jeremy Irons trained to be an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He later became the president of its fundraising efforts. He performed in many plays and even busked (played music for money) on the streets of Bristol. He first appeared on the London stage in Godspell in 1971.
His television career started in the early 1970s. He appeared in the children's series Play Away. He also played Franz Liszt in the BBC series Notorious Woman (1974). He gained more attention for his role in Love for Lydia (1977). He also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company three times.
After much success in London's West End, Irons made his New York debut. He starred in the play The Real Thing on Broadway. He acted opposite Glenn Close in this play. Irons won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. Critics praised his acting, saying he captured his character's charm and inner feelings.
Becoming a Film Star
A role that made him very well-known was Charles Ryder. This was in the TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited (1981). This show is considered one of the most successful British TV dramas. Irons was nominated for several awards for this role. Around the same time, he starred in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). He acted alongside Meryl Streep in this movie.
After these big successes, he played a Polish building contractor in the film Moonlighting (1982). He also appeared in The Mission in 1986. In 1988, he played twin doctors in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers. Irons won the Best Actor award from the New York Film Critics Circle for Dead Ringers. In 1991, he hosted Saturday Night Live in the US.
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Irons has also contributed to music. He recorded Façade with Dame Peggy Ashcroft. In 1994, he lent his unique voice to the villain Scar. This was for the Walt Disney Animated film The Lion King. This became one of his most famous movie roles. In the film, Irons sang parts of the song "Be Prepared". He acted alongside Matthew Broderick and James Earl Jones. Irons has also done voiceovers for three Disney World attractions. He narrated the Spaceship Earth ride at Epcot.
He also provides the English audio guide for Westminster Abbey in London. He voiced English soldier and poet Siegfried Sassoon in The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (1997). For this, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. Other films he appeared in include Danny the Champion of the World (1989). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Reversal of Fortune (1990). He also played Simon Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). He co-starred with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in that film. He also featured in the 1997 remake of ... and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).
Roles in the 2000s
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In 2003, Irons played Fredrik Egerman in a New York play called A Little Night Music. Two years later, he appeared as King Arthur in Camelot. He sang the Bob Dylan song "Make You Feel My Love" for a charity album in 2006. He played the wizard Profion in the film Dungeons and Dragons (2000). He also played the title character in The Merchant of Venice in 2004. In 2005, he appeared in Casanova and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven.
In 2005, Irons played Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the miniseries Elizabeth I. He starred opposite Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth I. Irons won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for this role. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
In 2008, he played Lord Havelock Vetinari in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic. This was a TV adaptation for Sky One. He also starred with Laura Dern in David Lynch's Inland Empire (2006). In 2008, Irons played former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in the play Never So Good. In 2009, Irons appeared on Broadway in the play Impressionism.
In 2008, Irons co-starred with Ed Harris in the western drama Appaloosa. In 2009, he starred as photographer Alfred Stieglitz in the TV movie Georgia O'Keeffe. For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 2008, researchers found that a combination of Irons's and Alan Rickman's voices was considered "the perfect male voice."
Recent Television and Film Work
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In 2011, Irons appeared with Kevin Spacey in the thriller Margin Call. He was also a guest star in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Irons starred in the 2011 series The Borgias on Showtime. This show was about the famous Renaissance family. Irons has also done voice-over work for many big cat documentaries. These include Eye of the Leopard (2006) and The Last Lions (2011). He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator for Game of Lions (2014).
In 2012, he starred in and produced the environmental documentary film Trashed. Irons has also recorded many audiobooks. These include Brideshead Revisited and The Alchemist. He also recorded poetry by T. S. Eliot for BBC Radio 4. In 2015, he played the mathematician G. H. Hardy in the film The Man Who Knew Infinity.
Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). In 2018, he was cast as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in HBO's Watchmen series. This role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2018, he played General Vladimir Korchnoi in the spy thriller Red Sparrow. In 2021, Irons played Rodolfo Gucci in the film House of Gucci.
In 2022, Irons played British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in Munich – The Edge of War. In 2023, he returned as Alfred Pennyworth in The Flash. He also voiced Scar again in Disney's short film Once Upon a Studio. In 2024, he performed Scar's song at a The Lion King concert event. He was also cast in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.
Activism and Views
At the 1991 Tony Awards, Jeremy Irons was one of the first celebrities to wear a red ribbon. This was to show support for the fight against AIDS. He was the first celebrity to wear it on screen.
Irons is a strong supporter of human rights. He has supported Amnesty International UK's campaign to end the death penalty worldwide. He believes the death penalty goes against basic human rights. In 2011, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He also starred in a video for "The 1billionhungry project." This project aimed to get people to sign a petition to end hunger.
In 2012, he was an executive producer for the environmental documentary Trashed. This film focused on environmental issues. In 2015, Irons supported the No Cold Homes campaign. This campaign helps people in the UK keep their homes warm in winter. He donated winter clothing to help raise money for the cause.
Personal Life
Jeremy Irons married Julie Hallam in 1969, but they divorced that same year. He married Irish actress Sinéad Cusack on 28 March 1978. They have two sons. Their son Samuel "Sam" Irons (born 1978) is a photographer. He appeared with his father in the film Danny, the Champion of the World. Their other son, Maximilian "Max" Irons (born 1985), is also an actor. Both of Irons's sons have acted in films with their father.
Irons owns Kilcoe Castle in Ireland. He had the castle painted a traditional ochre color. He also has homes in Dublin, his birth town of Cowes, Oxfordshire, and London.
In 2016, Irons said he would not accept an honour from the Queen. He said he became an actor to be a "rogue and a vagabond." He felt it would not be right for the establishment to claim him as one of their own.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Jeremy Irons has received many awards. These include an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award. He has also been nominated for two BAFTA Awards and a Grammy Award. In 2014, he received the Honorary César award.
In 2017, he was given the XVI Europe Theatre Prize in Rome. The award recognized his unique acting style and his ability to perform in many different types of productions. The prize organization noted his love for his profession and his independence as an actor.
Images for kids
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Irons in 1999
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Irons at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011
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Irons at the César Awards in 2014
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Irons in 2015
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Kilcoe Castle, built around 1450
See also
In Spanish: Jeremy Irons para niños
