Derek Jacobi

British actor accomplished in classical theatre, film and television series. Invited to join the National Theatre Company by Lawrence Olivier himself, Jacobi has established his place as one of the finest players on the English speaking stage. Though principally a stage actor, Jacobi has appeared in a number of successful television series and films. He was knighted in 1994.

Jacobi earned his acting prowess in England in the 1960s and dazzled international audiences later in his TV performance as the stuttering Roman emperor in I, Claudius (1976). He has twice been awarded a Laurence Olivier Award, first for his performance of the eponymous hero in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1983 and the second for his Malvolio in Twelfth Night in 2009. He also received a Tony Award for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing in 1984 and a Primetime Emmy Award in 1988 for The Tenth Man.

Jacobi's starring roles on TV include the titular character in the medieval drama series Cadfael (1994–1998), Stanley Baldwin in The Gathering Storm (2002), Stuart Bixby in the ITV comedy Vicious (2013–2016) and Alan Buttershaw in Last Tango in Halifax (2012–present). Jacobi also portrayed a version of the Master in the long running science fiction series Doctor Who. He later reprised the role for several Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish Productions. In 2019, he played Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, in the third season of the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Crown.

Jacobi wanted to be an actor from a very young age. His parents, Alfred and Daisy Jacobi, had no personal knowledge of the stage but encouraged their son to pursue his dreams. His father left school at 14 to work in a department store where he eventually went into management. His mother, Daisy worked as a secretary all her life up until her death in 1980. Jacobi lacked self-confidence as a child and today, marvels at how his shyness and determination led to the British stage.