Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi CBE (/ˈdʒækəbi/; born 22 October 1938) is an acclaimed English actor, known for his stage, film, and television roles. He started his professional acting career working alongside Laurence Olivier, being one of the founding members of the National Theatre. Jacobi has numerous stage credits to his name, including prominent Shakespearean roles in productions like Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, and King Lear. He won the Laurence Olivier Award for his performances in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and Twelfth Night in 2009. Furthermore, he gained a Tony Award for his portrayal of Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in 1985.

On television, Jacobi famously portrayed Claudius in the BBC series I, Claudius (1976) where he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. His other significant television roles include the ITV drama series Cadfael (1994–1998), the HBO film The Gathering Storm (2002), the sitcom Vicious (2013-2016), BBC's Last Tango in Halifax (2012–2020), and the Netflix series The Crown in 2019. His notable filmography includes Othello (1965), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Henry V (1989), Dead Again (1991), Nanny McPhee (2005), Cinderella (2015), and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). He portrayed Senator Gracchus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000) and has numerous awards including a BAFTA Award and Screen Actors Guild Awards.