Jeremy Irons
Born: 1948-09-19 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Jeremy John Irons (born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre productions, including the Shakespeare plays The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew and Richard II. In 1984, he made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing, receiving the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. Irons's break-out role came in the ITV series Brideshead Revisited (1981) and is frequently ranked among the greatest British television dramas as well as greatest literary adaptations. It would earn him a Golden Globe Award nomination. His first major film role came in the romantic drama The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. After starring in dramas, such as Moonlighting (1982), Betrayal (1983), and The Mission (1986), he was praised for portraying twin gynaecologists in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller Dead Ringers (1988). Irons has won multiple awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his portrayal of the accused attempted murderer Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990). Irons had roles in Steven Soderbergh's mystery thriller Kafka (1991), the period drama The House of the Spirits (1993), the romantic drama M. Butterfly (1993), voiced Scar in Disney's The Lion King (1994), played Simon Gruber in the action film Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Humbert Humbert in Lolita (1997) and Aramis in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). He starred in the action adventure Dungeons & Dragons (2000), played Antonio in The Merchant of Venice (2004), appeared in Being Julia (2004), the historical drama Kingdom of Heaven (2005), the fantasy-adventure Eragon (2006), the Western Appaloosa (2008), and the indie drama Margin Call (2011). In 2016, he appeared in Assassin's Creed and portrayed Alfred Pennyworth in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League (2017), and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021). On television, Irons appeared in the historical miniseries Elizabeth I, receiving a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor. From 2011 to 2013, he starred as Pope Alexander VI in the Showtime historical series The Borgias. In 2019, he appeared as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in HBO's Watchmen. He is one of the few actors who have achieved the "Triple Crown of Acting" in the US, winning an Oscar for film, an Emmy for television and a Tony Award for theatre. In October 2011, he was nominated the Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Filmography
2027
- The Beekeeper 2 as Wallace Westwyld
2026
- The Crystal Planet as Governor Mordokan (voice)
- Last Movies as Self - Narrator
- What is dyslexia? as The Inventor
- Wild Transylvania – Dracula's Hidden Kingdom as Narrator
2025
- The Count of Monte Cristo as Abbé Faria
- Palestine 36 as High Commissioner Wauchope
- This Ordinary Thing as Self (voice)
- The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl as Self
- Mara: Rebirth as Narrator (voice)
2024
- The Beekeeper as Wallace Westwyld
- Quintessentially Irish as Self
- Alec Guinness: A Class Act as self
- The Immortals: The Wonder of the Museo Egizio
2023
- The Flash as Alfred Pennyworth
- Once Upon a Studio as Scar (voice)
- Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled as Self
- Tom Hanks: The Nomad as Self (archive footage)
- Codice Carla as Self
- Making The Flash: Worlds Collide as Self - 'Alfred'
- The Cello as Francesco
2022
- The Pentaverate as Jeremy Irons
- The Way of the Cheetah as Narrator (voice)
- Relentless Enemies: Revealed as Narrator (voice)
- Franco Zeffirelli: Rebel Conformist as Self
- Prisoners of Our Own History: The First Four Films of Roland Joffé as Self (archive footage)
- Eternal Enemies: Revealed as Narrator (voice)
- Living With Big Cats: Revealed as Narrator
- Eye of the Leopard: Revealed as Narrator (voice)
- Ultimate Enemies: Revealed as Narrator (voice)
2021
- Zack Snyder's Justice League as Alfred
- House of Gucci as Rodolfo Gucci
- Munich - The Edge of War as Neville Chamberlain
- Nepal Beyond ... (Executive Producer)
- Napoleon: In the Name of Art
- Armin Mueller-Stahl - Ein Gaukler in Hollywood as Self
- Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto as Self
- Architects of Ancient Arabia as Narrator
2020
- Love, Weddings & Other Disasters as Lawrence Philips
- Jade Eyed Leopard as Narrator (voice)
2019
- The Morning Show as Martin Levy
- Watchmen as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias
- The Prado Museum: A Collection of Wonders as Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
2018
- Red Sparrow as Vladimir Korchnoi
- An Actor Prepares as Atticus
- Better Start Running as Garrison
2017
- Justice League as Alfred
- Their Finest as Secretary of War
- Birds Like Us as Mi (voice)
2016
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as Alfred
- Assassin's Creed as Alan Rikkin
- The Man Who Knew Infinity as G. H. Hardy
- Race as Avery Brundage
- DC Films Presents Dawn of the Justice League
- Correspondence as Ed Phoerum
- I Wish For You as Grandfather
- The Sultan and the Saint as Narrator
2015
- StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson as Self
- High-Rise as Anthony Royal
- Metropolis
- Emotional Uncertainties as Self
- Earthquake On Everest as Narrator (voice)
- The Genius of George Boole as Narrator (voice)
2014
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Endless Corridor as Narrator
- The Voysey Inheritance as Edward Voysey
2013
- Beautiful Creatures as Macon Ravenwood
- Muse of Fire as Self
- Night Train to Lisbon as Raimund
- Game of Lions as Narrator (voice)
- The Wind Gods as Narrator (voice)
- Goodbye Granadaland as Self
- The Sunflower Superjam 2012 as Self
2012
- The Hollow Crown as Henry IV
- The Words as The Old Man
- Shakespeare Uncovered as Himself
- Racing Legends as Self
- Trashed as Himself
- Seeds of Freedom as Narator
- Another Way Home as Narrator
2011
- The Borgias as Rodrigo Borgia
- Margin Call as John Tuld
- Prohibition as Reader (voice)
- The Last Lions as Narrator
2010
- The Majestic Plastic Bag as Narrator
- Harold Pinter: A Celebration as Self
2009
- The Pink Panther 2 as Avellaneda
- Waking Sleeping Beauty as Self (archive footage)
- Georgia O'Keeffe as Alfred Stieglitz
- The Chronoscope as Narrator
- The Power of the Powerless
2008
- The Colour of Magic as Patrician
- Appaloosa as Randall Bragg
- The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 2 as Patrician
- The Color of Magic - Die Reise des Zauberers Teil 1 as Patrician
- 1984 as Television Voice
- Magic in the air, Bantry House Music as Festival audience member
- Eden at the End of the World as Narrator
2007
- Lynch 2 as Self
- J.M.W. Turner: A National Gallery of Art Film Presentation as Narrator
2006
- Eragon as Brom
- Inland Empire as Kingsley Stewart
- The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall as Self
- Eye of the Leopard as Narrator
- The Path to Redemption as Self
- Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo as Narrator (voice)
- Mathilde as Col. De Petris
2005
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- Kingdom of Heaven as Tiberias
- Casanova as Pucci
- Elizabeth I as Earl of Leicester
- Gallipoli as Narrator
- Fiat Croma as Lead
- The Merchant of Venice as Himself
- Revisiting Brideshead as Self
2004
- Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
- Being Julia as Michael Gosselyn
- The Merchant of Venice as Antonio
2003
- Working Shakespeare as Host
- Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There as Self
- Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film as Self - Reader / Self - Listener ("Ohio Impromptu")
- Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites as Readings (Voice)
- Ultimate Enemies: Elephants and Lions as Narrator (voice)
- The Hittites: A Civilization that Changed the World as Narrator
2002
- The Time Machine as Über-Morlock
- Last Call as F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Heart of the Festival as Self (archive footage)
- Callas Forever as Larry Kelly
- And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen... as Valentin Valentin
- Ohio Impromptu as Reader / Listener
2001
- The Fourth Angel as Jack Elgin
- The Short Life of Anne Frank as Narrator (English version)
- The Making of "Dungeons and Dragons" as Self
2000
- Longitude as Rupert Gould
- Dungeons & Dragons as Profion
- Longitude as Rupert Gould
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Dr. Cap Jackson
- Faeries as The Shapeshifter (voice)
1998
- The Man in the Iron Mask as Aramis
- The Lolita Story as Himself
1997
- The View as Self
- Lolita as Humbert Humbert
- Chinese Box as John
1996
- Stealing Beauty as Alex Parrish
- E! True Hollywood Story
1995
- Die Hard: With a Vengeance as Simon
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies as Self
- A Night to Die For as Self
1994
- The Lion King as Scar (voice)
- Brisant as Self
- The Making of the Lion King as Self
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! as Self (archive footage)
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- The House of the Spirits as Esteban Trueba
- M. Butterfly as René Gallimard
1992
- Damage as Dr. Stephen Fleming
- HBO First Look
- Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- Waterland as Tom Crick
- Blast 'Em as Self (uncredited)
- Tales from Hollywood as Odon Von Horvath
- From Time to Time as H.G. Wells
1991
- Performance as Odon Von Horvath
- Kafka as Kafka
- The Beggar's Opera as Prisoner
- 'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe as Narrator
1990
- The Civil War as Various (voice)
- Reversal of Fortune as Claus von Bülow
- Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! as Self (archive footage)
1989
- The Simpsons as Bar Rag (voice)
- A Chorus of Disapproval as Guy Jones
- Australia as Edouard Pierson
- Danny the Champion of the World as William Smith
- The Dream
- Danny and the Dirty Dog: The Making of 'Roald Dahl's Danny the Champion of the World' as Narrator
1988
- Comic Relief
- Dead Ringers as Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle
- Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie as Self
- The Making of Dead Ringers as Self - Actor
1987
1986
- The Mission as Father Gabriel
- Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary as Self
- Rabbit Ears - The Steadfast Tin Soldier as Narrator (voice)
1985
- Night of 100 Stars II as Self
- The Statue of Liberty as Self (voice)
1984
- Swann in Love as Charles Swann
- The Wild Duck as Harold
1983
- Betrayal as Jerry
- The Captain's Doll as Captain Alexander Hepburn
1982
- Nature as Narrator
- Moonlighting as Nowak
1981
- Wetten, dass..? as Self
- Brideshead Revisited as Charles Ryder
- The French Lieutenant's Woman as Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
1980
- Nijinsky as Mikhail Fokine
1978
- Langrishe, Go Down as Otto Beck
1977
- BBC2 Play of the Week as Otto Beck
- Love for Lydia as Alex Sanderson
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1974
- Churchill's People as Samuel Ross
- The Pallisers as Frank Tregear
- Notorious Woman as Franz Liszt
1971
- Great Performances as Self
- Film '72 as Self
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes as Nephew
1965
- BBC Play of the Month as Edward Voysey
1962
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Host
1953
- The Oscars as Self