'I’ve got a feeling I won’t be on stage again’: Derek Jacobi on age, ego, Igglepiggle and unrequited love



‘I turned into a portion unusual – I liked dressing up’ … Jacobi on with his Irish terrier Daisy astatine his northbound London home. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian‘I became a portion bonzer – I favored dressing up’ … Jacobi unneurotic with his Irish terrier Daisy astatine his northbound London domestic. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

Sixty-5 years aft his archetypal rave reviews, the superstar of I, Claudius and Last Tango successful Halifax remains drowning successful paintings – and self-doubt. Can a idiosyncratic who gained Ian McKellen’s bosom simply spot himself arsenic ‘bland and boring’?

Derek Jacobi is having a atrocious hairsbreadth day. “Oh, helium butchered it,” wails the histrion successful mock despair. “It’s the worst haircut I’ve ever had.” Considering helium is acceptable to crook eighty four, determination person to beryllium a honorable fewer haircuts to take from. The lensman and I reassure him that his snowy locks are arsenic an alternate dapper, and helium appears close distant placated. “Do you watched so? Oh, I instrumentality each of it returned then.” His dependable is arsenic gentle and vigor arsenic food melting connected a crumpet, his mode sparkly and self-deprecating. When he's successful a good mannered mode requested not to let his limb stoop implicit the broadside of the seat astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic his representation is taken, helium increases a manus successful horror: “Was I being limp-wristed? We don’t privation immoderate of that!”

We are successful the residing country of the London location that Jacobi stocks on with his husband, the actor-director Richard Clifford, who has been his spouse for the crushed that overdue Seventies. The artwork astatine the walls would marque the residence acquisition similar a insignificant helping of the National Gallery were it present not for the couple’s russet-coloured Irish terrier, Daisy, padding astir the location. Jacobi, who is carrying a grey wool waistcoat, achromatic blouse, bluish jeans and subject moving shoes, got again a fewer days earlier from his 2nd location adjacent to Toulouse. “We watched the Queen’s ceremonial there,” helium says. He nevertheless remembers his parents buying for their archetypal tv specially for the coronation. He was 14. “We sat determination with the curtains drawn, watching it wrong the darkish.” It became lone 3 years successful the past that helium performed the nonaccomplishment of beingness Duke of Windsor successful The Crown. Art colliding with lifestyles, the beyond flooding in: nary astonishment the ceremonial deed him tough. “I cried the full time. It turned into each completed truthful nicely. Not a ft incorrect, not thing retired of place. Immaculate.” He whitethorn privation to astir beryllium reviewing a archetypal nighttime time.

Through the windows successful the backmost of him lies the lawn, and past that the location workplace successful which helium does his voiceover paintings, specified arsenic the audiobook of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s autobiography, which helium recorded for the duration of lockdown. Another enactment that got present his mode astatine immoderate constituent of that play turned into the British movie A Bird Flew In, which follows the scattered lives of assorted innovative sorts whose paintings is halted by the pandemic. Jacobi plays a seasoned performer resting astatine home successful France – that is precisely what helium became doing connected the time. He turned the presumption down successful the beginning. “I said, ‘No, no, I’m connected holiday.’ My cause said, ‘They’ll travel to you.’”

Jacobi hasn’t yet seen A Bird Flew In, truthful we walk connected alternatively to the movie mentation of Alan Bennett’s play Allelujah, successful which helium stars arsenic a affected idiosyncratic successful a geriatric wellness installation this is going done closure. Jennifer Saunders is the pinnacle caregiver and Russell Tovey a move-getting absorption consultant, nevertheless it's miles Jacobi, arsenic a erstwhile trainer, who resources the pathos. “Ah, sure. Allelujah. That’s the wellness halfway one, is it? I haven’t seen that either.” Still, helium laughs erstwhile I punctual him of 1 enactment from the film: “Even vintage humans don’t similar antique quality beings.” That’s particularly true, helium says, though helium keeps successful caput a punctuation from Clint Eastwood, for whom Jacobi performed himself concisely wrong the 2010 play Hereafter. “He turned into requested however helium copes with age, and helium responded: ‘I don’t fto the aged antheral in.’ Inevitably things driblet disconnected oregon prehend up. Whenever you get a ache present oregon an symptom there, you observed: Oh pricey, this is it.” Jacobi request to understand, having travel thru prostate cancer. “But you don’t fto the antique antheral in.”

Derek Jacobi successful Allelujah. Photograph: Rob Youngson/Pathe UK

Despite this pledge, helium claims nary longer to person the stamina of his person Ian McKellen, who last twelvemonth took connected Hamlet, portion helium go eighty two. “Rather him than me! Full marks, adjacent though.” Of each of the elements Jacobi has played, this is the simplest 1 helium tin inactive retrieve successful full. “I punctuation it with nary extremity successful sight,” helium says. Indeed, it changed into the springboard for his full career. At 18, helium performed Hamlet astatine module successful Leyton, eastbound London. That accumulation went straight to the Edinburgh fringe, catching the oculus of the theatre professional Kenneth Tynan, who singled retired this “rushing, wounded sulky-looking boy” and referred to arsenic him “a first-class enlistee … for modern prose drama”.

Jacobi, left, with John Hurt and George Baker successful I, Claudius. Photograph: Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy

Jacobi studied astatine Cambridge past joined Birmingham Rep, wherein helium was noticed with the assistance of Laurence Olivier and recruited for the caller National Theatre. (He and Olivier aboriginal person go the handiest actors to person each British and Danish knighthoods.) The time Jacobi turned 25, successful 1963, helium turned into backmost successful Hamlet erstwhile more, this clip arsenic Laertes, other Peter O’Toole. Shirley Bassey sang Happy Birthday to him astatine the afterparty. It changed into each a precise agelong mode from helping astatine his dad’s saccharine store successful Chingford successful eastbound London. “Those person been the days of rationing. I utilized to trim the coupons out. I wasn’t superb. I’d basal astatine the backmost of the antagonistic and arsenic rapidly arsenic a idiosyncratic got present successful I’d yell, ‘Dad, you’ve got a consumer,’ and I’d tally retired the little back.”

When I regarded successful Hamlet, my ma stated, ‘It became precise prime but you person to grin much wrong the curtain name’

His dada and ma had cheered connected his appearing ever considering the information that his high-faculty Hamlet. “My ma stated, ‘It go precise champion but you ought to grin much successful the curtain name.’ Three-and-a-half hours of Shakespeare and that changed into her simplest beryllium aware. I tendency each critics person been similar that!” There had been by nary means immoderate expectancies that helium could travel wrong the ellipse of relatives enterprise. “I became a spot odd. I favored dressing up, that benignant of thing. As a child, I ran down the streets successful my mom’s wedding ceremonial veil, and stuck it astatine the privet.” His ma thought performing turned into a phase, which changed into besides her effect portion helium instructed her astatine 21 that helium turned into successful emotion with a person. A bonzer antheral go besides successful emotion with Jacobiaround the adjacent time: McKellen, his Cambridge chum, go harbouring an unstated overwhelm. “I had nary thought astatine all,” helium says.

Jacobi with Ian McKellen arsenic expansive marshals connected the New York City Pride march. Photograph: Eduardo Muñoz/

It is not antithetic present to speech of delight for your sexuality; Jacobi and McKellen, who played a bitchy mates successful the unfashionable-styled 2013 sitcom Vicious, adjacent served arsenic expansive marshals of the New York City Pride march successful 2015. “There we person been, sitting up wrong the automobile each the mode down Fifth Avenue, doing a assortment of this,” helium says, twirling his manus successful a royal wave. But restitution wasn’t what helium felt whilst helium go increasing up. “It changed into conscionable the paper I’d been dealt. When I go young, I didn’t recognise what ‘gay’ oregon ‘gay’ meant. I knew I changed into attracted to my idiosyncratic intercourse. That changed into a interest to commencement with: ‘I’m present not alleged to beryllium similar this.’ Nothing to bash with legality. It wasn’t virtually till assemblage that I fell successful emotion with somebody.” An upset with that fellow brought connected him to travel retired to his mother. “Now she knew, and I didn’t privation to notation it again. Life went on.”

I ever longed to beryllium chiselled. I turned into fluffy and round. Totally bland and uninteresting

So, too, did performing. It go his wide show arsenic the stammering Roman emperor successful I, Claudius, a runaway deed that changed into shrewd, savage and radical, that made him a personage successful 1976. What helium remembers present is that it took an eternity to bash distant with the make-up aft the antique-age scenes. “I’d submerge myself successful a lukewarm bathtub and gradually the full constituent mightiness peel off. I had 1 of those wax faces successful my furniture for years.” There are full trunks implicit of mementoes and memorabilia up wrong the attic. “One day, I’ll spell done each of it. My begetter saved a fig of paper cuttings and whatnot.” Perhaps determination are toys, too, from In the Night Garden; Jacobi furnished the lulling, melodious narration for each occurrence of that beguilingly surreal CBeebies series, making it dependable similar Edward Lear oregon Lewis Carroll. Mention it present and helium launches into a rotation sanction close determination wrong the dwelling room: “Upsy Daisy, Igglepiggle … Oh, that go a beauteous 1 to do.”

Playing Francis 1st baron beaverbrook successful Love Is the Devil. Photograph: Photo 12/Alamy

For an histrion not associated with malevolence, it is placing however effortlessly and economically Jacobi tin invoke it. He has played Hitler and Pinochet, oregon adjacent got present wrong sniffing region of Hannibal Lecter successful The Silence of the Lambs. (It became each the mode down to Jacobi, Daniel Day-Lewis and the eventual celebrity, Anthony Hopkins.) He has successful nary mode been greater insidious, adjacent though, than arsenic Francis 1st Baron Verulam successful John Maybury’s 1998 psycho-drama Love Is the Devil. Jacobi had handiest precocious played Alan Turing connected tv successful Breaking the Code, a presumption helium originated connected level successful 1986, and the opposition betwixt that and Love Is the Devil connected my ain is testament to his versatility. His Turing is emphatic, unmarried-minded, shiny with interest. As Baron Verulam, helium is simply a shark successful quality pores and skin.

I had was hoping we'd sermon that show but helium is foggy astatine the information. “Remind me,” helium says. I constituent retired his co-famous person, a pre-Bond Daniel Craig, and their sado-masochistic furniture country scenes with lit cigarettes. “Danny and I had high-quality fun. But I don’t instrumentality into relationship excessively overmuch astir it. I’m sorry.” He does retrieve attending a cabaret amusement by means of Anne Reid, his on-screen spouse successful Sally Wainwright’s joyous BBC comedy-drama Last Tango successful Halifax. On stage, Reid referenced her enactment country with Craig successful The Mother. Jacobi couldn’t look up to calling out: “Idid a movie with Daniel Craig, too. And I went to mattress with him twice!”

I’m a shrinking violet. The simplest ego I’ve got is aft I’m appearing – then, I person the the powerfulness to beryllium triumphant

He has perpetually complained successful the past astir his looks, penning successful his 2013 autobiography, As Luck Would Have It: “Mine isn’t a look of that you think, ‘Ah, he’s suffered’ oregon ‘There’s thing convulsive astir him.’” Love Is the Devil is the objection that proves the regularisation of thumb. “I ever longed to beryllium chiselled,” helium says now. “I turned into fluffy and spherical. Totally bland and uninteresting.” When did helium halt feeling that way? “I didn’t.”

You could turn vintage expecting him to sing his ain praises. “I presume I mislaid retired successful the ego stakes. I’m a shrinking violet. The lone ego I’ve were fixed is erstwhile I’m performing. Then I really person the unit to beryllium triumphant and nary longer to autumn level connected my face.” Michael Grandage, who directed him arsenic King Lear successful 2010, expressed situation for the mode Jacobi places himself via the mill each nighttime time, rejecting immoderate shortcut to affectional effects. “It’s bloody tiring,” Jacobi says. “You intelligibly gain your cash.” Then, a booming snort: “Which, wrong the theatre, ain’t plenty!”

Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi successful Last Tango In Halifax. Photograph: Ben Blackall/BBC/Anthony and Cleopatra Series

When helium was eventual connected signifier in 2016, it go arsenic Mercutio, with Richard Madden, 47 years his junior, arsenic Romeo. The director, his buddy Kenneth Branagh, satisfied him that a protracted-in-the-teeth Mercutio whitethorn beryllium a benignant of Oscar Wilde discern, trading quips and crossing swords with the handsome young blades. “Toward the springiness up, I would basal successful the wings, terrified,” Jacobi admits. “Really terrified of going on. And that had been my lifestyles, you know? I got anxious. I wasn’t connected apical of things. And I notion: no. I can’t bash my pleasant similar that, and an people assemblage mightiness prime retired up connected it consecutive away.”

That portion of his beingness present appears to beryllium over. “I’ve were fixed a feeling I won’t beryllium connected signifier erstwhile more,” helium says faintly. “It’s present not level fright precisely. But I’m not cushty similar I utilized to be. And it’s a ways easier to bash telly and movies. They propulsion currency astatine you for precise little, and you get to bash it until you bash it proper.” How does helium sense, knowing helium mightiness by nary means again acceptable ft connected level? “Regretful. I bash walk implicit it. Whatever ‘it’ turned into, it’s faded.”

Jacobi astatine home. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

No much theatre, then. But what recollections. I pass him I tendency I had seen his Cyrano de Bergerac successful 1983. “I cherished doing that,” helium says, each of abrupt upbeat. “I resisted it earlier everything. I said, ‘I’m nary swashbuckler.’”

Earlier I had asked him whether helium had a catty aspect, similar his idiosyncratic successful Vicious. “Oh, I tin beryllium arsenic campy arsenic Chloe successful lawsuit you privation maine to be,” helium answered. Nasty with it? “Not simply. I’m a Libra: balanced, even-tempered and gentle.” Rather wonderfully, helium proves different conscionable arsenic our clip collectively is ending. As we decorativeness chatting astir his RSC days, the connection turns to Prospero, whom helium performed the 12 months earlier Cyrano de Bergerac. Also successful that manufacturing of The Tempest was a younger upstart named Mark Rylance arsenic Ariel. I inquire whether it’s real, arsenic rumour has it, that helium felt Rylance upstaged him. Jacobi offers a glimpse that would maim, if nary longer kill. “He attempted to,” helium sniffs. “The small cunt.”

No quicker has the operation near his rima than he's guffawing away, tickled pinkish astatine his precise ain naughtiness. So, helium does person claws aft all. Hidden they whitethorn be. But they're determination simply the identical.

A Bird Flew In is launched connected virtual condo connected 7 November and DVD and virtual download connected 12 December. Allelujah is released consequent year.