Jeremy Irons is an English theatre, film, and television actor celebrated for his distinctive voice, refined screen presence, and wide-ranging dramatic intensity. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has worked extensively in British and international productions, earning the rare distinction of winning an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, along with multiple Emmy and Golden Globe honors.

Early Life and Background

Jeremy Irons, born Jeremy John Irons on 19 September 1948, entered the world in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England. He is the son of Barbara Anne (Sharpe), an accountant, and Paul Dugan. In keeping with the traditions of many middle- and upper-class British families of the period, he was sent away for his education at a young age.

Irons attended Sherborne School, a strict boarding school known for its classical discipline. During his school years, he developed early artistic interests, learning to play instruments such as the drum and harmonica, and joining the school band *Four Pillars of Wisdom*. He also participated in school plays, laying the foundations for his later theatrical career.

Education and Turn Toward Acting

Despite his artistic inclinations, Jeremy Irons initially aspired to become a veterinarian, driven by his strong affinity for animals. When he failed to gain admission to veterinary school, he redirected his ambitions toward acting, a secondary passion that soon became central to his life.

After working briefly as an assistant stage manager at a small theatre, he enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Following two years of intensive training, Irons settled in Bristol, where he appeared in several stage productions. During this period, he supported himself by performing scenes from William Shakespeare, Noël Coward, and Joe Orton in public spaces, refining both his voice and stage command.

Early Career and Breakthrough

In 1971, Jeremy Irons moved to London, determined to pursue a professional acting career. His early breakthrough came on the West End stage with the role of John the Baptist in Godspell, a performance that drew the attention of casting agents and opened doors to television and film work.

He appeared in several British television productions before gaining wider recognition in the series Love for Lydia (1977), adapted from the novel by H. E. Bates. His cinematic breakthrough followed in 1980 with Nijinsky, which introduced him to international film audiences.

International Recognition and Collaborations

Jeremy Irons’s transition to major cinema was catalyzed by playwright Harold Pinter, who recommended him to director Karl Reisz. This led to Irons starring opposite Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), a film that established him as a serious international actor.

Almost simultaneously, he portrayed Charles Ryder in the television adaptation Brideshead Revisited, based on Evelyn Waugh’s novel. Despite production conflicts caused by a technical strike, Irons managed to complete both projects. The series became a global success, while *The French Lieutenant’s Woman* further elevated his international reputation.

Theatre and Broadway Success

Alongside his film career, Jeremy Irons remained deeply committed to theatre. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and continued to perform classical roles. In 1984, he made his Broadway debut opposite Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard’s *The Real Thing*, earning the Tony Award for Best Actor.

Major Film Roles and Awards

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Jeremy Irons delivered a series of acclaimed performances, including roles in The Mission (1986), directed by Roland Joffé, and Dead Ringers (1988) by David Cronenberg.

His portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990), again opposite Glenn Close, earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. This performance remains one of the most celebrated in his career.

He went on to star in films such as Kafka, Damage, The House of the Spirits with Meryl Streep and Glenn Close, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Stealing Beauty directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, and Lolita. In 1998, he appeared alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in The Man in the Iron Mask.

Voice Work and Television

Jeremy Irons reached a new generation of audiences by voicing Scar in Disney’s animated classic The Lion King (1994), a role that became iconic for its vocal performance alone.

On television, he earned critical acclaim for portraying Robert Dudley in Elizabeth I (2005), winning an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.

Later Career

In the 2000s and 2010s, Irons continued to balance film, television, and theatre work. He appeared in productions such as Kingdom of Heaven directed by Ridley Scott, Eragon, and the television series The Borgias. He later portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in the DC cinematic universe, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

Personal Life

Jeremy Irons was first married to Julie Hallam in 1969; the marriage ended the same year. In 1978, he married actress Sinéad Cusack, with whom he has two sons, Maximilian and Samuel. The couple have appeared together in films such as Stealing Beauty and Waterland, and Irons also acted alongside his sons in Danny, the Champion of the World.

Awards and Honors

Jeremy Irons’s most notable awards include:

1991 – Academy Award for Best Actor (Reversal of Fortune)
1991 – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor (Reversal of Fortune)
2007 – Golden Globe Award for Best Television Actor (Elizabeth I)

Filmography

Producer

2017 – Monumental
2012 – Trashed

Film and Television – Actor

1980 – Nijinsky (Mikhail Fokine)
1981 – The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Charles Henry Smithson)
1982 – Moonlighting (Nowak)
1983 – Betrayal (Jerry)
1984 – Swann in Love (Charles Swann)
1986 – The Mission (Father Gabriel)
1988 – Dead Ringers (Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle)
1988 – A Chorus of Disapproval (Guy Jones)
1990 – Reversal of Fortune (Claus von Bülow)
1991 – Kafka (Franz Kafka)
1992 – Damage (Dr. Stephen Fleming)
1992 – Waterland (Tom Crick)
1993 – M. Butterfly (René Gallimard)
1993 – The House of the Spirits (Esteban Trueba)
1994 – The Lion King (Scar – voice)
1995 – Die Hard with a Vengeance (Simon Gruber)
1996 – Stealing Beauty (Alex Parrish)
1997 – Lolita (Humbert Humbert)
1997 – Chinese Box (John)
1998 – The Man in the Iron Mask (Aramis)
2000 – Dungeons & Dragons (Profion)
2001 – The Fourth Angel (Jack Elgin)
2002 – Callas Forever (Larry Kelly)
2002 – The Time Machine (Simon Wells)
2004 – The Merchant of Venice (Antonio)
2004 – Being Julia (Michael Gosselyn)
2005 – Casanova (Pucci)
2005 – Kingdom of Heaven (Tiberias)
2005 – Elizabeth I (Robert Dudley) – TV Miniseries
2006 – Eragon (Brom)
2006 – Inland Empire (Kingsley Stewart)
2008 – Appaloosa (Randall Bragg)
2009 – The Pink Panther 2 (Avellaneda)
2009 – Georgia O’Keeffe (Alfred Stieglitz) – TV Film
2010 – The Last Lions (Narrator)
2011 – Margin Call (John Tuld)
2011–2013 – The Borgias (Rodrigo Borgia) – TV Series
2012 – Trashed (Himself)
2013 – Beautiful Creatures (Macon Ravenwood)
2013 – Night Train to Lisbon (Raimund Gregorius)
2015 – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Alfred Pennyworth)
2015 – High-Rise (Anthony Royal)
2015 – The Man Who Knew Infinity (G. H. Hardy)
2016 – Assassin’s Creed (Alan Rikkin)
2016 – La corrispondenza (Edward Phoerum)
2017 – Justice League (Alfred Pennyworth)
2017 – Red Sparrow
2017 – Monumental (Garrison)
2019 – The Batman (Alfred Pennyworth)

Source: Biyografiler.com