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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| Education | Sherborne School |
| 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 Irons |
| Awards | Full list |
Jeremy John Irons (born 19 September 1948) is a famous English actor. He is known for his many roles in plays, movies, and TV shows. He has won lots of awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar), two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. He is one of the few actors who has won all three major awards for film (Oscar), television (Emmy), and theatre (Tony). This special achievement is called the Triple Crown of Acting.
Irons learned acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and started his career on stage in 1969. He acted in many plays in London's West End, including plays by William Shakespeare like The Winter's Tale and Macbeth. In 1984, he performed on Broadway in New York in a play called The Real Thing, and he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for it.
His first big movie role was in The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981). He also starred in movies like Moonlighting (1982) and The Mission (1986). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Reversal of Fortune (1990). Other well-known films include Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005). He also famously voiced Scar in Disney's animated movie The Lion King (1994) and played Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe superhero movies (2016–2023).
On television, Irons became very well known 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 played 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, helping to fight hunger.
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Early life and education
Jeremy Irons was born on 19 September 1948 in Cowes, a town on the Isle of Wight in England. His father, Paul Dugan Irons, was an accountant, and his mother was Barbara Anne Brereton Brymer. Jeremy has an older brother, Christopher, and a sister, Felicity Anne.
He went to Sherborne School in Dorset from 1962 to 1966. While at school, he was the drummer and harmonica player in a band called the Four Pillars of Wisdom.
Career
Early work and theatre roles (1969–1979)
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Irons studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. After finishing, he performed in many plays and even busked (played music for money) on the streets of Bristol. His first big role on the London stage was in the play Godspell in 1971.
He started his TV career in the early 1970s. He appeared in a children's show called Play Away and played Franz Liszt in the BBC series Notorious Woman (1974). He also starred in the TV adaptation of Love for Lydia (1977).
After becoming successful in London's West End, Irons made his New York debut on Broadway in the play The Real Thing. He acted opposite Glenn Close and won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. Critics praised his acting, saying he showed both charm and deep feelings.
Breakthrough and film stardom (1980–1999)
A role that made him very famous was Charles Ryder in the TV show Brideshead Revisited (1981). This show is considered one of the best British TV dramas ever. Around the same time, he starred in the movie The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) with Meryl Streep. A critic from The New York Times compared him to a young Laurence Olivier, saying he was very convincing in his role.
He then played a Polish builder in the movie Moonlighting (1982). He also appeared in the movie The Mission (1986) and played twin doctors in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers (1988). For Dead Ringers, he won the Best Actor award from the New York Film Critics Circle.
In 1994, Jeremy Irons used his unique voice to play the bad guy, Scar, in Disney's animated movie The Lion King. This became one of his most famous roles. He also sang parts of the song "Be Prepared" in the film. He has also provided voices for three Disney World attractions, including narrating the Spaceship Earth ride at Epcot.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Reversal of Fortune (1990). He also starred as Simon Gruber in the action movie Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. He played the musketeer Aramis in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).
Irons has also recorded audiobooks, including The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde. He is the English voice for the audio guide at Westminster Abbey in London.
Elizabeth I and other roles (2000–2010)
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In 2000, Irons played the evil wizard Profion in the movie Dungeons and Dragons. He also appeared in The Time Machine (2002) and The Merchant of Venice (2004). In 2005, he was in the movies Casanova and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven.
In 2005, he played Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the miniseries Elizabeth I, starring opposite Helen Mirren. He won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for this role.
In 2008, he played Lord Havelock Vetinari in the TV adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic. He also starred with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen in the western movie Appaloosa. In 2009, he played photographer Alfred Stieglitz in the TV movie Georgia O'Keeffe.
Interestingly, in 2008, researchers studied 50 voices and found that the "perfect male voice" was a mix of Jeremy Irons's and Alan Rickman's voices. They said Irons's "deep gravelly tones" made listeners trust him.
Television work (2011–present)
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In 2011, Irons appeared in the thriller movie Margin Call with Kevin Spacey. He also starred in the TV series The Borgias (2011–2013), playing Pope Alexander VI. The director of The Merchant of Venice said Irons "has such a magnetic quality on screen."
Irons has done a lot of voice work for nature documentaries, especially for National Geographic. He narrated films like Eye of the Leopard (2006) and The Last Lions (2011), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator.
In 2012, he starred in and helped produce the environmental documentary Trashed. He has also recorded many audiobooks, including Brideshead Revisited, The Alchemist, and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. He has recorded all the poems by T. S. Eliot for BBC Radio 4.
Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in the Warner Bros. superhero movies Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and The Flash (2023). In 2018, he played General Vladimir Korchnoi in the spy movie Red Sparrow. In 2019, he was cast as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in the HBO series Watchmen, earning another Emmy nomination. In 2021, he played Rodolfo Gucci in the movie House of Gucci.
In 2022, Irons played British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the movie Munich – The Edge of War. In 2023, he returned to voice Scar in Disney's short film Once Upon a Studio. In 2024, he performed Scar's song at a live concert celebrating The Lion King's 30th anniversary. He is also set to appear in the TV series The Morning Show.
Political views and activism
Jeremy Irons has used his fame to support various causes. In 1991, he was one of the first celebrities to wear a red ribbon to show support for the fight against AIDS.
He has also supported political parties and causes. He has been a financial supporter of the Labour Party in the UK. He also supported Caroline Lucas of the Green Party in an election.
Irons is strongly against the death penalty and has supported Amnesty International UK's campaign to end it worldwide.
Personal life
Jeremy Irons married Julie Hallam in 1969, but they divorced later that year. He then married Irish actress Sinéad Cusack on 28 March 1978. They have two sons: Samuel "Sam" Irons (born 1978), who is a photographer, and Maximilian "Max" Irons (born 1985), who is also an actor. Both sons have appeared in movies with their father.
Jeremy Irons practices Zen meditation. He owns Kilcoe Castle in Ireland, which he had 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 honor from the British government, explaining that he became an actor to be a "rogue and a vagabond" and didn't feel it was right for him to be seen as part of the establishment.
Philanthropy
Irons is a patron (a supporter) of several charities. He supports the Emergency Response Team Search and Rescue (ERTSAR), which is a UN-recognized team that helps in disasters. He also supports The Prison Phoenix Trust and Evidence for Development, which works to prevent famines.
In 2010, Irons appeared in a video for "The 1billionhungry project," which aimed to get a million signatures for a petition asking world leaders to focus on ending hunger. In 2011, he was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
In 2015, Irons supported the No Cold Homes campaign by the UK charity Turn2us. He was one of many celebrities who donated winter clothing to help people keep their homes warm.
Irons is also a patron of the Chiltern Shakespeare Company, which puts on Shakespeare plays, and The Associated Studios, a drama school in London. He has received honorary degrees from universities for his contributions to acting. In 2016, he became the first Chancellor of Bath Spa University.
Acting credits and accolades
Throughout his career, Jeremy Irons has received many awards and nominations for his work in theatre, film, and television. These include an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, 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 without losing his independence.
See also
- List of British actors
- List of British Academy Award nominees and winners
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
