NICHT GENAU: seitens der Städte.. LONDON: Jeremy Irons

LONDON Covent Garden 2009

Foto:G.Ludovice

Jeremy John Irons
(Ilha de Wight, 19 de Setembro de 1948) é um actor britânico nascido na Inglaterra.

Estudou arte dramática na conceituada escola Bristol Old Vic School e acabou por entrar para a companhia de teatro Bristol Old Vic, onde ganhou experiência a trabalhar em diversas peças, desde obras de Shakespeare até dramas contemporâneos.

Em 1971, mudou-se para Londres, e acabou por conseguir o papel de João Baptista na peça de teatro Godspell. Iniciou uma carreira bem sucedida no West End Theatre e na televisão, tendo-se estreado no cinema no filme Nijinski (1980), que conta a história deste famoso bailarino russo. Sendo extremamente elegante e bem-falante, Jeremy Irons encaixava perfeitamente em papéis que retratassem membros da aristocracia.

Assim, em 1981, desempenhou o papel principal na famosa série da BBC Brideshead Revisited (Reviver o Passado em Brideshead]), que contava, entre outros nomes consagrados, com a presença de Laurence Olivier, e a sua fama ultrapassou as fronteiras da Europa, chegando aos EUA. Nesse mesmo ano, contracenou com de Meryl Streep no filme The French Lieutenant's Woman (A Amante do Tenente Francês). Volta a dar provas do seu talento no papel de um missionário no filme The Mission (A Missão, 1986), ao lado de Robert DeNiro, trabalho que lhe valeu a nomeação para o Globo de Ouro.

Dois anos depois, Irons desempenhou o papel de dois gémeos ginecologistas com uma relação bastante forte e que vão caminhando, ao longo do filme, para a separação, no controverso e chocante trabalho do realizador David Cronenberg, Dead Ringers (Irmãos Inseparáveis, de 1988). Em 1990, desempenhou o papel de um milionário suspeito de assassínio no filme Reversal of Fortune (Os Reveses da Fortuna), onde contracenou com Glenn Close, desempenho que lhe valeu o Óscar de Melhor Actor e o Globo de Ouro na mesma categoria.

Consagrado como um dos actores mais respeitados tanto na Europa como nos EUA, a sua carreira conta com outros filmes de renome como Kafka (1990), Fatale (Relações Proibidas, de 1992), uma película do aclamado realizador francês Louis Malle na qual Irons contracena com Juliette Binoche, M. Butterfly (1993), novo encontro do actor com o realizador David Cronenberg, num filme que narra uma história, passada na China, de um diplomata francês, desempenhado por Jeremy Irons, que se apaixona por uma misteriosa cantora de ópera.
Ainda nesse ano, Jeremy Irons deslocou-se a Portugal, onde se desenrolou parte das filmagens de The House of the Spirits (A Casa Dos Espíritos), um filme inspirado no livro de Isabel Allende. Para além de Irons, o elenco de luxo desta película contou com nomes como os de Glenn Close e Meryl Streep, com quem já trabalhara anteriormente, Winona Ryder e Antonio Banderas.
No ano seguinte, dá a voz ao sinistro Scar, no filme de animação The Lion King (O Rei Leão, de 1994), e, em 1995, participa em Die Hard: With a Vengeance (Die Hard: A Vingança, de 1995), um filme de acção, género até então pouco habitual para este actor, que desempenha o papel do terrorista vilão, com Bruce Willis no papel do "bom".

Em 1996, participa no drama romântico de Bernardo Bertolucci, Stealing Beauty (Beleza Roubada) e, um ano depois, o actor oferece ao público um desempenho subtil e comovente, vestindo a pele de Humbert Humbert, no filme Lolita (1997), adaptado do romance homónimo pelo realizador Adrian Lyne. No ano seguinte, juntou-se a outros nomes famosos - John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu, Gabriel Byrne, e Leonardo DiCaprio - como um dos Mosqueteiros, no filme The Man in the Iron Mask (O Homem da Máscara de Ferro, de 1998). Em 2002, foi o vencedor do César de Honra francês, em homenagem à sua carreira. Nesse ano, participou também em The Time Machine (A Máquina do Tempo de 2002).
Ganhou o Globo de Ouro de Melhor Ator Coadjuvante - Série de TV / Minissérie / Filme para TV, por Elizabeth I (2005). E ganhou o Emmy de Melhor Ator Coadjuvante, por Elizabeth I (2006).

Filmografia selecionada
Eragon (idem, 2006) .... Brom
Reino dos Céus (Kingdom of Heaven, 2005).... Tiberias
O Mercador de Veneza (The Merchant of Venice, 2004) .... Antônio
A Máquina do Tempo (The Time Machine, 2002) .... Über-Morlock
O 4º Anjo (The Fourth Angel, 2001) .... Jack Elgin
Dungeons and Dragons (idem, 2000) .... Profion
O Homem da Máscara de Ferro (The Man in the Iron Mask, de 1998).
Lolita (idem, 1997) .... Humbert Humbert
Beleza Roubada (Stealing Beauty, 1996) .... Alex
Die Hard: A Vingança (Die Hard: With a Vengeance, de 1995
O Rei Leão (The Lion King, 1994) (voz) .... Scar
A Casa dos Espíritos (The House of the Spirits, 1993)
M. Butterfly (1993)
Relações Proibidas / Perdas e Danos (Fatale, 1992)
Kafka (1990)
O Reverso da Fortuna (Reversal of Fortune, 1990) .... Claus von Bürlow
Irmãos Inseparáveis / Gêmeos - Mórbida semelhança (Dead Ringers, 1988).
A Missão (The Mission, 1986) .... Padre Gabriel
A Mulher do Tenente Francês (The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
im:wikipedia

Irons was born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, the son of Barbara Anne Brereton Brymer Sharpe Irons (née Sharpe), a housewife (1914–1999), and Paul Dugan Irons (June 1913 in Croydon – 1983), an accountant.[1] Part of his maternal ancestry is Irish,[2] and his great-grandfather was one of the first Metropolitan Policemen and later a chartist. Irons has a brother, Christopher (born 1943) and a sister, Felicity Anne (born 1944), both older. He was educated at the independent Sherborne School in Dorset, (c. 1962–1966). He achieved some fame as the drummer and harmonica player (most memorably for his rendition of "Moon River" on harmonica) in a four-man school band called the Four Pillars of Wisdom. They performed, in a classroom normally used as a physics lab, for the entertainment of boys compulsorily exiled from their houses for two hours on Sunday afternoons. He was also known within Abbey House as half of a comic duo performing skits on Halloween and at end-of-term House Suppers.

Irons trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and is now president of its fundraising appeal. He performed a number of plays and supported himself by busking on the streets of Bristol, before appearing on the London stage as John the Baptist and Judas opposite David Essex in Godspell, which opened at the Round House on 17 November 1971 before transferring to Wyndham's Theatre playing a total of 1,128 performances.[3]
Irons was bestowed an Honorary-Life Membership by the Law Society (University College Dublin) in September 2008, in honour of his contribution to television, film, audio, music and theatre.

He made several appearances on British television, including the children's television series Play Away and as Franz Liszt in the BBC 1974 series Notorious Woman. More significantly he starred in the 13-part adaptation of H.E. Bates' novel Love for Lydia for London Weekend Television (1977), and attracted attention for his key role as the pipe-smoking German student, a romantic pairing with Judi Dench in Harold Pinter's screenplay adaptation of Aidan Higgins' novel Langrishe, Go Down for BBC television (1978).
The role which brought him fame was that of Charles Ryder in the television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited (1981). Brideshead reunited him with Anthony Andrews, with whom he had appeared in The Pallisers seven years earlier. In the same year he starred in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman opposite Meryl Streep.
Almost as a 'lap of honour' after these major successes, in 1982 he played the leading role of an exiled Polish building contractor, working in the Twickenham area of South West London, in Jerzy Skolimowski's independent film Moonlighting, widely seen on television, a performance which extended his acting range. Irons voiced Devious Diesel in Thomas and Friends.
In 2005, Irons won both an Emmy award and a Golden Globe award for his supporting role in the TV mini-series, Elizabeth I. A year later Irons was one of the participants in the third series of the BBC documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?[4][5] In 2008 he played Lord Vetinari in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic, an adaptation for Sky One.
On 6 November 2008, TV Guide reported he will star as photographer Alfred Stieglitz with Joan Allen as painter Georgia O’Keeffe, in a Lifetime Television O’Keeffe biopic.[6] Irons also appeared in the documentary for Irish television channel TG4, Faoi Lan Cheoil in which he learned to play the fiddle

Irons' film debut came with Nijinsky in 1980. He appeared sporadically in films during the 1980s, including the Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Mission in 1986, and in the dual role of twin physicians in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers in 1988. Over the years, Irons has become known for playing somber, often mentally tortured characters. Other films include Danny the Champion of the World (1989), Reversal of Fortune (1990), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Kafka (1991), Damage (1993), The House of the Spirits (1993) appearing again with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep, Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Bernardo Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty (1996), the 1997 remake of Lolita and as the musketeer Aramis opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1998 film version of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). One of his more memorable performances was when he gave his voice to Scar in The Lion King (1994).
Other roles include playing the evil wizard Profion in the film Dungeons and Dragons (2000). He played Rupert Gould in Longitude (2000). He played the Über-Morlock from the movie The Time Machine (2002). In 2004, Irons played Severus Snape in Comic Relief's Harry Potter parody, "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan". Irons and Alan Rickman (who plays Snape in the Harry Potter film series), played the Gruber brothers, Simon and Hans, respectively, in the Die Hard film series.

In 2005, he appeared in the films Casanova opposite Heath Ledger, and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. He has co-starred with John Malkovich in two movies; The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) and Eragon (2006), though they did not have any scenes together in Eragon.
[edit] Audio
Irons read the audio book recording of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, and the audio book recording of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.
One of his best known film roles has turned out to be the voice of Scar in The Lion King (1994). Irons has since provided voiceovers for two Disney World attractions. He narrated the Spaceship Earth ride, housed in the large geodesic globe at Epcot, from November 1994 to July 2007. He also voiced H.G. Wells in the English version of the former Disney attraction The Timekeeper.
He was originally to star as the Phantom in a 2006 French musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera, though the project was canceled.[citation needed] He will be the narrator for Val Kilmer and Bill Pullman's brand-new Lewis and Clark movie from Revolution Studios.[citation needed]
He serves as the English-language version of the audio guide for Westminster Abbey in London.
[edit] Music
In 1985, Irons directed a music video for Carly Simon and her heavily promoted single, "Tired of Being Blonde". Although the song was not a hit, the video —featuring the fast cutting, parallel narratives and heavy use of stylized visual effects that were a staple of pop videos at the time— received ample attention on MTV and other outlets.
In 1994 Jeremy Irons had a cameo role in the video for Elastica's hit single 'Connection'. Irons was one of the many naked men sitting down around Elastica as they performed the song. Irons has since claimed that this 3 minute slice of nudity was his most enjoyable work to date.
Irons has contributed to other musical performances, recording William Walton's Façade with Dame Peggy Ashcroft, and in 1997 the songs from Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, released on the Decca label.
He sang a selection of sophisticated Noël Coward songs at the 1999 Last Night of the Proms in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Coward's birth.
In 2003 he played Fredrik Egerman in a New York revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, and two years later appeared as King Arthur in Lerner and Loewe's Camelot at the Hollywood Bowl.
Jeremy Irons also has a full song named "Be Prepared" that takes part in the movie The Lion King. However he only actually sang a section of the song after having vocal problems, Jim Cummings finished the last few lines of the song. This song can be found in the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the movie.
In 2009 Irons appeared on the Touchstone album Wintercoast, recording a narrative introduction to the album.[7] Recording took place in New York City in February 2009 during rehearsals for his Broadway play Impressionism.

Irons has twice worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1976 and 1986–87.[8] In 1984, Irons made his New York debut and won a Tony Award for his Broadway performance opposite Glenn Close in The Real Thing.
After an absence from the London stage for 18 years, in 2006 he co-starred with Patrick Malahide in Christopher Hampton's stage adaptation of Sándor Márai's novel Embers at the Duke of York's Theatre.[9]
He made his National Theatre debut playing Harold Macmillan in Never So Good, a new play by Howard Brenton which opened at the Lyttelton on 19 March 2008.[10][11]
In 2009 Irons appeared on Broadway opposite Joan Allen in the play Impressionism.[12] The play is in a limited run through 10 May 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater.[12]
[edit] Personal life
Irons is married to Irish actress Sinéad Cusack and is the father of two sons, Samuel James Brefni Irons (16 September 1978), who works as a photographer, and Maximilian Paul Diarmuid Irons (17 October 1985), also an actor who appeared in the 2006 Burberry fashion campaign. Both of Irons' sons have appeared in films with their father, Sam in Danny, Champion of the World and Max in Being Julia. Irons now lives in the small town of Watlington in Oxfordshire.
He is also the patron since 2002 of the Thomley Activity Centre,[13] an Oxfordshire non-profit activity centre for disabled children. Irons owns Kilcoe Castle (which he had painted a rusty pink) in County Cork, Ireland, and has become involved in local politics there. He also has another Irish residence in The Liberties, Dublin. Irons is a patron of the Chiltern Shakespeare Company.[14] He is a fan of English football club Portsmouth.[15]

At the 1991 Tony Awards, Irons was one of the few celebrities to wear the recently created red ribbon to support the fight against AIDS, and he was the first celebrity to wear it onscreen.[16][17] He supports a number of other charities, including the Prison Phoenix Trust of which he is an active patron.