Jeremy Irons
Born
September 19, 1948 (76 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Cowes, Isle of Wight, England, UK
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.
Known For
Quintessentially Irish
Self
2024
The Immortals: The Wonder of the Museo Egizio
2024
The Beekeeper
Wallace Westwyld
2024
Codice Carla
Self
2023
Once Upon a Studio
Scar (voice)
2023
The Cello
Francesco
2023
Making The Flash: Worlds Collide
Self - 'Alfred'
2023
The Flash
Alfred Pennyworth
2023
Tom Hanks: The Nomad
Self (archive footage)
2023
Prisoners of Our Own History: The First Four Films of Roland Joffé
Self (archive footage)
2022
Franco Zeffirelli: Rebel Conformist
Self
2022
Eternal Enemies: Revealed
Narrator (voice)
2022
Eye of the Leopard: Revealed
Narrator (voice)
2022
Ultimate Enemies: Revealed
Narrator (voice)
2022
Relentless Enemies: Revealed
Narrator (voice)
2022
Living With Big Cats: Revealed
Narrator
2022
The Way of the Cheetah
Narrator (voice)
2022
Napoleon: In the Name of Art
2021
Marina Cicogna - La vita e tutto il resto
Himself
2021
Architects of Ancient Arabia
Narrator
2021
Broadway: The Next Generation
Self
2017
The Man Who Knew Infinity
G. H. Hardy
2016
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Alfred
2016
Race
Avery Brundage
2016
Correspondence
Ed Phoerum
2016
I Wish For You
Grandfather
2016
High-Rise
Anthony Royal
2015
Earthquake On Everest
Narrator (voice)
2015
The Voysey Inheritance
Edward Voysey
2014
Game of Lions
Narrator (voice)
2013
Muse of Fire
Self
2013
Goodbye Granadaland
Self
2013
Night Train to Lisbon
Raimund
2013
Beautiful Creatures
Macon Ravenwood
2013
Trashed
Himself
2012
Another Way Home
Narrator
2012
The Words
The Old Man
2012
Margin Call
John Tuld
2011
The Last Lions
Narrator
2011
The Majestic Plastic Bag
Narrator
2010
Georgia O'Keeffe
Alfred Stieglitz
2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Self (archive footage)
2009
The Pink Panther 2
Avellaneda
2009
Appaloosa
Randall Bragg
2008
1984
Television Voice
2008
Eden at the End of the World
Narrator
2008
Lynch 2
Self
2007
Eragon
Brom
2006
Inland Empire
Kingsley Stewart
2006
The Secret Policeman's Ball: The Ball in the Hall
Self
2006
Eye of the Leopard
Narrator
2006
Mathilde
Col. De Petris
2006
Casanova
Pucci
2005
Revisiting Brideshead
Self
2005
Kingdom of Heaven
Tiberias
2005
Gallipoli
Narrator
2005
The Merchant of Venice
Antonio
2004
Being Julia
Michael Gosselyn
2004
The Hittites: A Civilization that Changed the World
Narrator
2003
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Self
2003
Callas Forever
Larry Kelly
2002
And Now... Ladies and Gentlemen...
Valentin Valentin
2002
Last Call
F. Scott Fitzgerald
2002
Ohio Impromptu
Reader / Listener
2002
The Time Machine
Über-Morlock
2002
The Fourth Angel
Jack Elgin
2001
Dungeons & Dragons
Profion
2000
Longitude
Rupert Gould
2000
The Man in the Iron Mask
Aramis
1998
Chinese Box
John
1997
Lolita
Humbert Humbert
1997
Stealing Beauty
Alex Parrish
1996
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Simon
1995
The Lion King
Scar (voice)
1994
The House of the Spirits
Esteban Trueba
1993
M. Butterfly
René Gallimard
1993
Damage
Dr. Stephen Fleming
1992
Waterland
Tom Crick
1992
Kafka
Kafka
1991
Reversal of Fortune
Claus von Bülow
1990
Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly!
Self
1990
A Chorus of Disapproval
Guy Jones
1989
Danny the Champion of the World
William Smith
1989
Dead Ringers
Beverly Mantle / Elliot Mantle
1988
The Mission
Father Gabriel
1986
Moonlighting
Nowak
1982
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Charles Henry Smithson / Mike
1981
A Magnificent Death from a Shattered Hand
The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl
Self
2025
Alec Guinness: A Class Act
self
2024
Wild Transylvania – Dracula's Hidden Kingdom
Narrator
2024
Seeing Through the Mists of Oblivion
Traveller (archived audio)
2023
Birds Like Us
Mi (voice)
2022
Munich – The Edge of War
Neville Chamberlain
2021
House of Gucci
Rodolfo Gucci
2021
Armin Mueller-Stahl - Ein Gaukler in Hollywood
Self
2021
Zack Snyder's Justice League
Alfred
2021
Love, Weddings & Other Disasters
Lawrence Philips
2020
Jade Eyed Leopard
Narrator (voice)
2020
The Prado Museum: A Collection of Wonders
Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
2019
An Actor Prepares
Atticus
2018
Better Start Running
Garrison
2018
Red Sparrow
Vladimir Korchnoi
2018
Justice League
Alfred
2017
Their Finest
Secretary of War
2017
Assassin's Creed
Alan Rikkin
2016
The Sultan and the Saint
Narrator
2016
DC Films Presents Dawn of the Justice League
Self
2016
The Genius of George Boole
Narrator (voice)
2015
Emotional Uncertainties
Self
2015
Endless Corridor
Narrator
2014
The Sunflower Superjam 2012
Self
2013
The Wind Gods
Narrator (voice)
2013
The Making of "Dungeons and Dragons"
Self
2001
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
The Well of Saint Nobody
William
Encore
Nigel
Seeds of Freedom
Narator
2012
Harold Pinter: A Celebration
Self
2010
The Power of the Powerless
2009
J.M.W. Turner: A National Gallery of Art Film Presentation
Narrator
2007
The Path to Redemption
Self
2006
The Merchant of Venice
Himself
2005
The Short Life of Anne Frank
Narrator (English version)
2001
The Lolita Story
Himself
1998
The Making of the Lion King
Self
1994
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
Self (archive footage)
1994
Earth and the American Dream
Reader (voice)
1992
'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe
Narrator
1991
Danny and the Dirty Dog: The Making of 'Roald Dahl's Danny the Champion of the World'
Narrator
1989
The Dream
1989
Sesame Street | Put Down the Duckie: An All-Star Musical Special
Self
1988
The Making of Dead Ringers
Self - Actor
1988
Rabbit Ears - The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Narrator (voice)
1986
Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary
Self
1986
The Statue of Liberty
Self (voice)
1985
The Captain's Doll
Captain Alexander Hepburn
1983
Palestine 36
The Crystal Planet
Governor Mordokan (voice)
Water People: The Story of Us
The Ocean (voice)
Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled
Self · (3 episodes)
2023
The Pentaverate
Jeremy Irons · (6 episodes)
2022
The Morning Show
Martin Levy · (10 episodes)
2019
Heart of the Festival
2002
Rizana: A Caged Bird
Professor Julian Miles
The Count of Monte Cristo
Abbé Faria · (8 episodes)
2025
Watchmen
Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias · (9 episodes)
2019
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Metropolis
(5 episodes)
2015
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Racing Legends
Self · (1 episode)
2012
The Hollow Crown
Henry IV · (2 episodes)
2012
Shakespeare Uncovered
Himself · (1 episode)
2012
Prohibition
Reader (voice) · (3 episodes)
2011
The Borgias
Rodrigo Borgia · (29 episodes)
2011
The Chronoscope
Narrator
2009
The Colour of Magic
Patrician · (2 episodes)
2008
The One Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo
Narrator (voice)
2006
Elizabeth I
Earl of Leicester · (2 episodes)
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self · (1 episode)
2004
Ultimate Enemies: Elephants and Lions
Narrator (voice)
2003
Working Shakespeare
Host · (5 episodes)
2003
Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites
Readings (Voice) · (4 episodes)
2003
Longitude
Rupert Gould · (2 episodes)
2000
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Dr. Cap Jackson · (2 episodes)
1999
Faeries
The Shapeshifter (voice)
1999
The View
Self · (3 episodes)
1997
E! True Hollywood Story
(1 episode)
1996
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
A Night to Die For
Self
1995
Inside the Actors Studio
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Brisant
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1993
Tales from Hollywood
Odon Von Horvath
1992
HBO First Look
(1 episode)
1992
Performance
Odon Von Horvath · (1 episode)
1991
The Beggar's Opera
Prisoner
1991
The Civil War
Various · (9 episodes)
1990
The Simpsons
Bar Rag (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
Australia
Edouard Pierson
1989
Comic Relief
(1 episode)
1988
Daytime Live
(1 episode)
1987
The Wild Duck
Harold
1984
Swann in Love
Charles Swann
1984
Betrayal
Jerry
1983
Nature
Narrator · (1 episode)
1982
Brideshead Revisited
Charles Ryder · (11 episodes)
1981
Wetten, dass..?
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Nijinsky
Mikhail Fokine
1980
Langrishe, Go Down
Otto Beck
1978
BBC2 Play of the Week
Otto Beck · (1 episode)
1977
Love for Lydia
Alex Sanderson · (13 episodes)
1977
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1975
Notorious Woman
Franz Liszt · (7 episodes)
1974
The Pallisers
Frank Tregear · (26 episodes)
1974
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Nephew · (1 episode)
1971
Great Performances
Self · (1 episode)
1971
BBC Play of the Month
Edward Voysey · (1 episode)
1965
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · (1 episode)
1962
Tony Awards
Self - Host · (1 episode)
1956
The Oscars
Self · (4 episodes)
1953