Topic: Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE (pronounced /ˈdʒækəbi/; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor and film director.

A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, Oedipus the King, and he received a Tony Award for his performance in Much Ado About Nothing. His stage work also includes playing notable historical figures such as Edward II, Octavius Caesar, Richard III of England, and Cyrano de Bergerac.

As well as holding the distinction of being a founder member of the Royal National Theatre and winning several prestigious theatre awards, Jacobi has also enjoyed a successful television career, appearing in the critically praised adaptation I, Claudius for which he won a BAFTA, the titular role in the acclaimed medieval drama series Brother Cadfael, Stanley Baldwin in The Gathering Storm. Despite principally being a stage actor, Jacobi has appeared in a diverse number of films such as Henry V, Gladiator, Gosford Park, The Golden Compass and Hippie Hippie Shake. Like Laurence Olivier, he bears the distinction of holding two knighthoods, Danish and British.