Jeremy Irons

Jeremy Irons’ career started in Bristol where he attended the Bristol Old Vic’s Theatre School.  During his time in Bristol, Irons busked on the streets whilst appearing in plays at the theatre school. He then appeared in London at the Roundhouse, playing John the Baptist and Judas in Godspell alongside David Essex in 1971 before it transferred to the Wyndham’s Theatre.

Irons has made several television roles including the ‘70s series Notorious Woman, Love for Lydia and Langrishe, Go Down, in which he played Judi Dench’s love interest. In the early ‘80s he took a role in an adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s series Brideshead Revisited, which often appears on lists of the greatest British television programmes. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Charles Ryder in the show. Irons went on to win a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 2005 for his supporting role in Channel 4 series Elizabeth I.

Irons made his film debut in 1980 in Herbert Ross’ Nikinsky. He won an Academy Award in 1990 for his role in the film Reversal of Fortune, and voiced Scar in the Disney film The Lion King. More recently, he appeared as Alfred Pennyworth in Batman v Superman and starred alongside Kevin Spacey in the 2011 film Margin Call.

On stage, Irons has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company on three separate occasions, and made his Broadway debut in 1984, winning a Tony Award for his performance in The Real Thing alongside Glenn Close. He was, however, noticeably absent from the stage for over 18 years before returning in Christopher Hampton’s stage adaptation of the novel Embers at the Duke of York’s Theatre in 2008. Read an Embers review starring Jeremy Irons here.

Irons first appeared at the National Theatre in 2009: he played Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in Howard Brenton’s play Never So Good. Read a Never So Good review starring Jeremy Irons here. He appeared on Broadway in 2009 in Impressionism, played God in The Mystery Plays at Gloucester and Worcester Cathedrals, and returned to Bristol Old Vic to play James Tyrone in Long Day's Journey into Night.