116-515: John Irvin (born 7 May 1940) is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne , Northumberland , he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré 's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy . He made several Hollywood films in the 1980s, including The Dogs of War (1980), Ghost Story (1981) and Hamburger Hill (1987). Irvin
232-590: A Screen Actors Guild Award , and a Tony Award , as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards , and Grammy Award . He received the Honorary César in 2014. On 17 December 2017, he was awarded the XVI Europe Theatre Prize , in Rome . The Prize organization stated, "With Jeremy Irons, life and art have been mixed to the point of creating an inimitable style, as man and actor, which blends an air of freedom with
348-426: A rogue and a vagabond so I don't think it would be apt for the establishment to pull me in as one of their own, for I ain't." In 2013, Irons said he was a smoker and an avid fan of cigars , naming Romeo y Julieta as his favourite brand. He said, "My curse is that I'm a cigarette smoker. I make my own cigarettes. So I have a tendency to inhale when I smoke a cigar. I have to keep reminding myself not to." He
464-757: A London-based drama school, The Associated Studios . Irons was bestowed an Honorary Life Membership by the University College Dublin Law Society in September 2008, in honour of his contribution to television, film, audio, music, and theatre. Also in 2008, Irons was awarded an honorary Doctorate by Southampton Solent University . On 20 July 2016, Irons was announced as the first Chancellor of Bath Spa University . Over his career he has received numerous accolades including nominations for his roles on stage and screen including an Academy Award , two Golden Globe Awards , three Primetime Emmy Awards ,
580-704: 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 . He performed the Bob Dylan song " Make You Feel My Love " on the 2006 charity album Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars . Other roles include the wicked wizard Profion in the film Dungeons and Dragons (2000) and Rupert Gould in Longitude (2000). He played
696-574: A brother, Christopher (born 1943), and a sister, Felicity Anne (born 1944). He was educated at the independent Sherborne School in Dorset from 1962 to 1966. He was the drummer and harmonica player in a four-man school band called the Four Pillars of Wisdom. Irons trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and later became president of its fundraising appeal. He performed
812-596: A grand dinner attended by 2000 guests, and the Laing Art Gallery has a painting of this event. With the exception of the timber roof which was destroyed by a fire in 1901 and replaced by latticed-steel arches the Market is largely in its original condition. The Grainger Market architecture, like most in Grainger Town, which are either grade I or II listed, was listed grade I in 1954 by English Heritage. The development of
928-487: A handful of historic densely occupied, arguably overinflated markets in the local authorities: Harrogate , Cheltenham , Bath , inner London, Hastings , Brighton and Royal Tunbridge Wells . Significant Newcastle housing developments include Ralph Erskine 's the Byker Wall designed in the 1960s, and now Grade II* listed . It is on UNESCO 's list of outstanding 20th-century buildings. The Byker Redevelopment has won
1044-879: A long way to go." After these major successes, he played the leading role of an exiled Polish building contractor, working in the Twickenham area of southwest London, in Jerzy Skolimowski 's independent film Moonlighting (1982). Irons made his film debut in Nijinsky in 1980. In addition, he appeared in the Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Mission in 1986 and in the dual role of twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg 's Dead Ringers alongside Geneviève Bujold in 1988. Irons would later win Best Actor for Dead Ringers from
1160-538: A monopoly in the coal trade to a cartel of Newcastle burgesses known as the Hostmen . This monopoly, which lasted for a considerable time, helped Newcastle prosper and develop into a major town. The phrase taking coals to Newcastle was first recorded contextually in 1538. The phrase itself means a pointless pursuit. In the 18th century, the American entrepreneur Timothy Dexter , regarded as an eccentric, defied this idiom. He
1276-604: A number of plays, and busked 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 Roundhouse on 17 November 1971 before transferring to Wyndham's Theatre playing a total of 1,128 performances. Irons's television career began on British television in the early 1970s, including appearances on
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#17328768391311392-638: A part of the City undergoing redevelopment. The slow demise of the shipyards on the banks of the River Tyne happened in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. During the Second World War, the city and surrounding area were a target for air raids as heavy industry was involved in the production of ships and armaments. The raids caused 141 deaths and 587 injuries. A former French consul in Newcastle called Jacques Serre assisted
1508-531: A practising Catholic, yet has stated: I don't go to church much because I don't like belonging to a club, and I don't go to confession or anything like that, I don't believe in it. But I try to be aware of where I fail and I occasionally go to services. I would hate to be a person who didn't have a spiritual side because there's nothing to nourish you in life apart from retail therapy. Elsewhere, he has described his practice of Zen meditation. He owns Kilcoe Castle near Ballydehob , County Cork, Ireland, and had
1624-423: A romantic-comedy film based on the novel of the same name that starred Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley . The story tells of a lonely man and woman from London who help a couple of turtles escape from a zoo. Soon afterwards, Irvin made Raw Deal (1986), an action film , starring Arnold Schwarzenegger about an FBI agent who extracts a bloody revenge against a Mafia organisation. After that, Irvin's next film
1740-817: A screen marriage made in heaven, and when they let rip with the thwarted passion all might have been well." Irons won both an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his performance. A year later, he participated in the third series of the BBC documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? In 2008, he played Lord Havelock Vetinari in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic , an adaptation for Sky One . In 2006, Irons appeared with Laura Dern in David Lynch 's Inland Empire . After an absence from
1856-750: A sin". In 2020, Irons said, "I support wholeheartedly the right of women to have an abortion should they so decide". Irons married Julie Hallam in 1969, but they divorced later that year. He married Irish actress Sinéad Cusack on 28 March 1978. They have two sons, Samuel "Sam" Irons (born 1978), who works as a photographer, and who co-starred with his father in Danny, the Champion of the World , and Maximilian "Max" Irons (born 1985), also an actor. Both of Irons's sons have appeared in films with their father. Irons's wife and children are Catholic ; Irons has also been described as
1972-408: A strong feeling either way" on gay marriage but expressed fears that it could "debase marital law", suggesting it could be "manipulated" to allow fathers to avoid paying tax when passing on their estates to their sons, because he supposed " incest laws would not apply to men". He later clarified his comments, saying he was providing an example of a situation that could cause a "legal quagmire" under
2088-478: A substantial amount of property in the two North East of England towns was destroyed in a series of fires and an explosion which killed 53 and injured hundreds. The status of city was granted to Newcastle on 3 June 1882. In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution . This revolution resulted in
2204-569: A thriving, cosmopolitan area with bars, restaurants, hotels and public spaces. The historic heart of Newcastle is the Grainger Town area. Established on classical streets built by Richard Grainger , a builder and developer, between 1835 and 1842, some of Newcastle upon Tyne's finest buildings and streets lie within this area of the city centre including Grainger Market , Theatre Royal , Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street. These buildings are predominantly four stories high, with vertical dormers, domes, turrets and spikes. Richard Grainger
2320-559: A worldwide drive to attract at least one million signatures to a petition calling on international leaders to move hunger to the top of the political agenda. Irons was named Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2011. He provided the narration of the 2013 documentary (by Andrew Lauer ) Sahaya Going Beyond about the work of the charity Sahaya International. In November 2015, Irons supported
2436-664: Is Exhibition Park , which contains the only remaining pavilion from the North East Coast Exhibition of 1929 . From the 1970s until 2006 this housed the Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum; which closed in 2006. The pavilion is now being used as a microbrewery and concert venue for Wylam Brewery . The wooded gorge of the Ouseburn in the east of the city is known as Jesmond Dene and forms another recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to
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#17328768391312552-526: Is St James' Park , the stadium home of Newcastle United FC which dominates the view of the city from all directions. Another major green space in the city is the Town Moor , lying immediately north of the city centre. It is larger than London's Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath put together and the freemen of the city have the right to graze cattle on it. The right extends to the pitch of St. James' Park , Newcastle United Football Club's ground ; this
2668-524: Is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear , England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough , located on the River Tyne 's northern bank opposite Gateshead to the south. It is the most populous settlement in the Tyneside conurbation and North East England . Newcastle developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius . The settlement became known as Monkchester before taking on
2784-607: Is a constituent member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority . The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle was Pons Aelius (" Hadrian 's bridge"), a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne . It was given the family name of the Roman Emperor Hadrian , who founded it in the 2nd century AD. This rare honour suggests Hadrian may have visited the site and instituted the bridge on his tour of Britain. The population of Pons Aelius then
2900-432: Is a graduate of London Film School . Irvin directed his first films in the 1960s, such as the short subjects Gala Day (1963), Carousella (1965), the made-for-TV film East of Howard (1966), Bedtime (1967) and Mafia No! (1967). In the 1970s, Irvin directed exclusively for television, including drama episodes and made-for-TV films. In the mid-1970s, he made Possessions (1974) and Haunted: The Ferryman (1974) and
3016-779: Is also one of the readers in the 4x CD boxed set of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde , produced by Marc Sinden and sold in aid of the Royal Theatrical Fund. He serves as the English-language version of the audio guide for Westminster Abbey in London. He voiced English soldier and WWI poet Siegfried Sassoon in The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (1997), receiving the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance . Other films include Danny
3132-628: Is estimated at 2,000. Fragments of Hadrian's Wall are visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. The course of the "Roman Wall" can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort in Wallsend – the "wall's end" – and to the separate supply fort of Arbeia in South Shields , across the river from Hadrian's Wall. The extent of Hadrian's Wall was 73 miles (117 km), spanning
3248-575: Is known for his roles on stage and screen having won numerous accolades including an Academy Award , two Golden Globe Awards , three Primetime Emmy Awards , and a Tony Award . He is one of the few actors who has achieved the " Triple Crown of Acting " in the US having won Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Awards for Film, Television and Theatre. Irons received classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and started his acting career on stage in 1969. He appeared in many West End theatre productions, including
3364-671: Is not exercised, although the Freemen do collect rent for the loss of privilege. Honorary freemen include Bob Geldof , King Harald V of Norway, Bobby Robson , Alan Shearer , the late Nelson Mandela and the Royal Shakespeare Company . The Hoppings funfair, said to be the largest travelling funfair in Europe, is held here annually in June. In the south-eastern corner of the Town Moor
3480-497: Is seen taking fiddle lessons from Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh . In 2011, Irons appeared alongside Kevin Spacey in the thriller Margin Call . On 12 January 2011, Irons was a guest-star in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit called "Mask". He played Dr. Cap Jackson, a sex therapist . He reprised the role on an episode titled "Totem" that ran on 30 March 2011. Irons stars in
3596-639: Is the Patron of the Emergency Response Team Search and Rescue (ERTSAR), which is a United Nations–recognised life saving disaster response search and rescue team and registered charity. It is based in his home County of Oxfordshire, England. He supports a number of other charities, including The Prison Phoenix Trust in England, and the London-based Evidence for Development, which seeks to improve
John Irvin - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-485: Is to join them". During a 2007 Q&A with The Guardian , Irons named Tony Blair as the living person he most admired; reasoning "For living so publicly with the knowledge that he's not perfect." He then named George W. Bush as the living person he most despised, stating "to hold his position he should have surrounded himself with more reliable people." In 2009, Irons signed a petition in support of Polish film director Roman Polanski , calling for his release after he
3828-804: The Die Hard series of films. Speaking at 200 words per minute and pausing for 1.2 seconds between sentences, Irons came very close to the ideal voice model, with the linguist Andrew Linn explaining why his "deep gravelly tones" inspired trust in listeners. In 2009, Irons appeared on the Touchstone album Wintercoast , recording a narrative introduction to the album. Recording took place in New York City in February 2009 during rehearsals for his Broadway play Impressionism . As German villain Simon Gruber his recital of
3944-802: The Spaceship Earth ride, housed in the large geodesic globe at Epcot in Florida from October 1994 to July 2007. He was also the English narrator for the Studio Tram Tour: Behind the Magic at the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. He voiced H. G. Wells in the English-language version of the former Disney attraction The Timekeeper . He also reprised his role as Scar in Fantasmic . He
4060-612: The Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990). Other notable films include Kafka (1991), Damage (1992), M. Butterfly (1993), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Lolita (1997), The Merchant of Venice (2004), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Appaloosa (2008), and Margin Call (2011). He voiced Scar in Disney's The Lion King (1994) and played Alfred Pennyworth in
4176-630: The DC Extended Universe (2016–2023) franchise. On television, Irons's break-out role came playing Charles Ryder in the ITV series Brideshead Revisited (1981), receiving nominations for the BAFTA Award , Primetime Emmy Award , Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the HBO miniseries Elizabeth I (2005) and
4292-566: The London Library by half a century. Some founder members of the Literary and Philosophical Society were abolitionists. Newcastle also became a glass producer with a reputation for brilliant flint glass . A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Fenham Barracks in 1806. The great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead was a tragic and spectacular series of events starting on Friday 6 October 1854, in which
4408-703: The New York Film Critics Circle that year. On 23 March 1991, he hosted Saturday Night Live on NBC in the US, and appeared as Sherlock Holmes in the Sherlock Holmes' Surprise Party sketch. In 1985, Irons directed a music video for Carly Simon and her heavily promoted single, " Tired of Being Blonde ", and in 1994, he had a cameo role in the video for Elastica 's hit single " Connection ". Irons has contributed to other musical performances, recording William Walton 's Façade with Dame Peggy Ashcroft , Stravinsky 's The Soldier's Tale conducted by
4524-562: The Ouseburn Valley , where the river finally reaches the River Tyne . The springtime dawn chorus at 55 degrees latitude has been described as one of the best in the world. The dawn chorus of the Jesmond Dene green space has been professionally recorded and has been used in various workplace and hospital rehabilitation facilities. The area around the Tyne Gorge, between Newcastle on
4640-666: The Roman departure from Britain , completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria , and was known throughout this period as Munucceaster (sometimes modernised as Monkchester ). Conflicts with the Danes in 876 left the settlements along the River Tyne in ruins. After the conflicts with the Danes, and following the 1088 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester
4756-419: The Royal Shakespeare Company three times in 1976, 1986–1987 and 2010. After years of success in the West End in London, Irons made his New York debut as Henry, a man engaging in an affair in the Tom Stoppard play The Real Thing at the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway acting opposite Glenn Close . Irons won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play . Frank Rich of The New York Times wrote, "Given
John Irvin - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-554: 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 . His first major film role came in The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), for which he received a BAFTA Award for Best Actor nomination. After starring in dramas such as Moonlighting (1982), Betrayal (1983), The Mission (1986), and Dead Ringers (1988), he received
4988-449: The 1830s by Richard Grainger and John Dobson . More recently, Newcastle architecture considered to be Tyneside classical has been extensively restored. Broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie described Newcastle as England's best-looking city and the German-born British scholar of architecture, Nikolaus Pevsner , describes Grey Street as one of the finest streets in England. In 1948 the poet John Betjeman said of Grey Street, "As for
5104-409: The 1920s, and the process continued into the 1970s, along with substantial private house building and acquisitions. Unemployment hit record heights in Newcastle during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The city's last coal pit closed in 1956, though a temporary open cast mine was opened in 2013. The temporary open cast mine shifted 40,000 tonnes of coal, using modern techniques to reduce noise, on
5220-551: The 1990s include Freefall (1994), Widows' Peak (1994), A Month by the Lake (1995), Crazy Horse (1996), the acclaimed City of Industry (1997), starring Harvey Keitel and Timothy Hutton, When Trumpets Fade (1998) and Noah's Ark (1999). In the 2000s, Irvin directed Shiner (2000), which starred Michael Caine . The story tells about a boxing promoter searching for his son's killer. Irvin then directed The Fourth Angel (2001), an action film starring Jeremy Irons and Forest Whitaker . Irvin's other films from
5336-433: The 1991 Tony Awards , Irons was one of the few celebrities to wear the red ribbon to support the fight against AIDS . He was the first celebrity to wear it onscreen. In 1998, Irons and his wife were named in the list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party , a year following its return to government with Tony Blair 's victory in the 1997 general election , following eighteen years in opposition. He
5452-435: The 1997 remake of Lolita , and the 1998 film version of The Man in the Iron Mask , playing the musketeer Aramis . To mark the 100th anniversary of Noël Coward 's birth, Irons sang a selection of his songs at the 1999 Last Night of the Proms held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, ending with " London Pride ", a patriotic song written in the spring of 1941 during the Blitz . In 2003, Irons played Fredrik Egerman in
5568-465: The 19th century were a group of unrelated people who lived in and around the centre of Newcastle and its Quayside between the end of the 18th and early/mid 19th century. They are depicted in a painting by Henry Perlee Parker . Newcastle was the country's fourth largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge , and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages, predated
5684-463: The 2000s include The Boys from County Clare (2003), Dot.Kill (2004), The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha (2005) and The Moon and the Stars (2007). Irvin released The Garden of Eden (2008), starring Mena Suvari and Jack Huston . Irvin appears as himself in the documentary feature The Writer with No Hands (2014), talking about the screenwriter Gary DeVore with whom he worked on The Dogs of War and Raw Deal . Irvin's next film
5800-418: The 2011 US premium cable network Showtime's series The Borgias , a highly fictionalised account of the Renaissance dynasty of that name. Directing him in The Merchant of Venice , Michael Radford states Irons "has such a magnetic quality on screen, and he has a kind of melancholy about him." Irons has served as voice-over in several big cat documentary films (multiple by National Geographic ): Eye of
5916-510: The Champion of the World (1989), Reversal of Fortune (1990), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor , Kafka (1991), Damage (1993), M. Butterfly (1993) working again with David Cronenberg, The House of the Spirits (1993) appearing again with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep. Afterwards, he portrayed Simon Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), co-starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson . He also featured in Bernardo Bertolucci 's Stealing Beauty (1996),
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#17328768391316032-439: The English riddle " As I was going to St Ives " (from Die Hard with a Vengeance ) appears in the 2014 book The Art of Communicating Eloquently . In 2017, he recited the spoken sections, most notably "Late Lament", for The Moody Blues ' 50th Anniversary Tour of "Days Of Future Passed", and also appears on the video presentation. Irons also appeared in the documentary for Irish television channel TG4, Faoi Lán Cheoil , in which he
6148-425: The German war effort by describing important targets in the region to Admiral Raeder who was the head of the German Navy. The public sector in Newcastle began to expand in the 1960s. The federal structure of the University of Durham was dissolved. That university's college in Newcastle, which had been known as King's College, became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (now known as Newcastle University ), which
6264-405: The Great Exhibition of the North, the largest event in England in 2018. The exhibition began on 22 June with an opening ceremony on the River Tyne, and ended on 9 September with the Great North Run weekend. The exhibition describes the story of the north of England through its innovators, artists, designers and businesses. In 2019, various travel sites named Newcastle to be the friendliest city in
6380-439: The Leopard (2006), The Last Lions (2011), The Unlikely Leopard (2012), Game of Lions (2014), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator , Jade Eyed Leopard (2020), Revealed: Ultimate Enemies (2022), and Revealed: Eternal Enemies (2022). He narrated the French-produced docuseries about volcanoes, Life on Fire (2009–2012). In 2012, he starred and worked as executive producer of
6496-461: 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 . He made his National Theatre debut playing former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan (1957–1963) in Never So Good , a new play by Howard Brenton which opened at the Lyttelton on 19 March 2008. In 2009, Irons appeared on Broadway opposite Joan Allen in
6612-453: The No Cold Homes campaign by the UK charity Turn2us . Irons was one of nearly thirty celebrities, who included Helen Mirren , Hugh Laurie and Ed Sheeran , to donate items of winter clothing to the campaign, with the proceeds used to help people in the UK struggling to keep their homes warm in winter. Irons is a patron of the Chiltern Shakespeare Company , which produces Shakespearean plays annually in Beaconsfield , Buckinghamshire, and
6728-468: The North . Newcastle's thriving Chinatown lies in the north-west of Grainger Town , centred on Stowell Street. A new Chinese arch, or paifang , providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the city with a ceremony in 2005. The Tyneside flat was the dominant housing form constructed at the time when the industrial centres on Tyneside were growing most rapidly. They can still be found in areas such as South Heaton in Newcastle but once dominated
6844-472: The UK. Since 1974, Newcastle has been a part of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in North East England . The city is located on the north-western bank of the River Tyne , approximately 46 miles (74 km) south of the border with Scotland. The ground beneath the city is formed from Carboniferous strata of the Middle Pennine Coal Measures Group — a suite of sandstones , mudstones and coal seams which generally dip moderately eastwards. To
6960-452: The authority is one of few authorities to see the proportion of detached homes rise in the 2010 Census (to 7.8%), in this instance this was coupled with a similar rise in flats and waterside apartments to 25.6%, and the proportion of converted or shared houses in 2011 renders this dwelling type within the highest of the five colour-coded brackets at 5.9%, and on a par with Oxford and Reading , greater than Manchester and Liverpool and below
7076-446: The castle painted a traditional ochre colour which was misreported as being 'pink'. He also has another Irish residence in The Liberties of Dublin , as well as a home in his birth town of Cowes , a detached house and barn in Watlington , Oxfordshire and a mews house in Notting Hill , London. In 2016, in an interview on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Irons stated that he would decline an honour : "I became an actor to be
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#17328768391317192-500: The children's series Play Away and as Franz Liszt in the BBC series Notorious Woman (1974). More significantly, he starred in the 13-part adaptation of H. E. Bates 's novel Love for Lydia (1977) for London Weekend Television , 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 's novel Langrishe, Go Down (1978) for BBC Television. Irons has worked with
7308-435: The city in the 1960s saw the demolition of part of Grainger Town as a prelude to the modernist rebuilding initiatives of T. Dan Smith , the leader of Newcastle City Council . A corruption scandal was uncovered involving Smith and John Poulson , a property developer from Pontefract , West Yorkshire, and both were imprisoned. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, Our Friends in
7424-430: The city today dates from this period. Throughout the Middle Ages , Newcastle was England's northern fortress. In 1400 Newcastle was separated from Northumberland for administrative purposes and made a county of itself by Henry IV . Newcastle was given the title of the county of the town of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town had a new charter granted by Elizabeth I in 1589. A 25-foot-high (7.6 m) stone wall
7540-545: The composer, and in 1987 the songs from Lerner and Loewe 's My Fair Lady with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa , released on the Decca label. In 1994, lent his distinctive voice to the antagonist Scar in the Walt Disney Animated film The Lion King (1994), where it became one of his best known film roles. In the film Irons sang segments of " Be Prepared ". He acted alongside Matthew Broderick , Nathan Lane , James Earl Jones , and Rowan Atkinson . Irons has since provided voiceovers for three Disney World attractions. He narrated
7656-415: The curve of Grey Street, I shall never forget seeing it to perfection, traffic-less on a misty Sunday morning." The street curves down from Grey's Monument towards the valley of the River Tyne and was voted England's finest street in 2005 in a survey of BBC Radio 4 listeners. In the Google Street View awards of 2010, Grey Street came 3rd in the British picturesque category. A portion of Grainger Town
7772-422: The death penalty and has supported the campaign by the human rights organisation Amnesty International UK to abolish capital punishment worldwide. Among his arguments, Irons states the death penalty "infringes on two fundamental human rights, the right to life, and no-one shall be subject to torture", adding that while the person accused of a crime "may have abused those rights, to advocate the same be done to them
7888-496: The enviable capacity to enter into the spirit of the most varied productions, in theatre, cinema and television, without ever betraying himself or giving up his independence. In productions great and small, with an unflinching love for his profession, Jeremy Irons says of himself: "I became an actor to be a rogue and vagabond, so I don't think the establishment would be able to welcome me as one of its own – because I'm not." His versatility as an actor, as much at ease in Shakespeare as in
8004-441: The environmental documentary film Trashed . Irons has had extensive voice work in a range of different fields throughout his career. He read the audiobook recording of Evelyn Waugh 's Brideshead Revisited , Paulo Coelho 's The Alchemist , Vladimir Nabokov 's Lolita (he had also appeared in the 1997 film version of the novel), and James and the Giant Peach by the children's author Roald Dahl . In particular, he
8120-432: The epidemic; this may also have been the most devastating loss in any British city in this period. During the English Civil War , the North declared for the King. In a bid to gain Newcastle and the Tyne, Cromwell's allies, the Scots, captured the town of Newburn . In 1644, the Scots then captured the reinforced fortification on the Lawe in South Shields following a siege and the city was besieged for many months . It
8236-543: The first Veronica Rudge Green Prize in Urban Design in 1988. Newcastle has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ). Data in Newcastle was first collected in 1802 by the solicitor James Losh . Situated in the rain shadow of the North Pennines , Newcastle is amongst the driest cities in the UK. Temperature extremes recorded at Newcastle Weather Centre include 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) set in July 2022 down to −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) on 29 December 1995. Newcastle can have cool to cold winters, though usually warmer than
8352-469: The keels, boats that were used to transfer coal from the river banks to the waiting colliers , for export to London and elsewhere. In the 1630s, about 7,000 out of 20,000 inhabitants of Newcastle died of plague , more than one-third of the population. Specifically within the year 1636, it is roughly estimated with evidence held by the Society of Antiquaries that 47% of the then population of Newcastle died from
8468-754: The latter. In 2004 Irons played Severus Snape in the BBC's Comic Relief 's Harry Potter parody, "Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan". In 2004, he starred in István Szabó 's Being Julia opposite Annette Bening , receiving a Satellite Award nomination for his performance. In 2005, Irons portrayed Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester in the Channel 4 - HBO mini-series, Elizabeth I , in which he starred opposite Helen Mirren ( Queen Elizabeth I ). Rupert Smith of The Guardian praised their on-screen chemistry writing, "Mirren and Irons are
8584-531: The laws that allow same-sex marriage, and that he had been "misinterpreted". He added that "some gay relationships are more long term, responsible and even healthier in their role of raising children, than their hetero[sexual] equivalents". He said in a BBC interview that he wished he had "buttoned [his] lip" before asking if its legalisation would see fathers marry sons. At the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in 2020, Irons said, "I applaud
8700-415: The legislation of same-sex marriage, wherever it has been attained. I hope that such enlightened legislation will continue to spread into more and more societies". Irons supports the legal availability of abortion , having said that he believes that "women should be allowed to make the decision". Irons also agreed with an abortion opponent and was quoted as saying that " the church is right to say it's
8816-615: The lives of the world's most needy people by preventing famines and delivering food aid, for both of which he is an active patron. In 2000, Irons received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member Olivia de Havilland during the International Achievement Summit in London. In 2010, Irons starred in a promotional video, for "The 1billionhungry project" –
8932-626: The motor car, Newcastle's road network was improved in the early part of the 20th century, beginning with the opening of the Redheugh road bridge in 1901 and the Tyne Bridge in 1928. Efforts to preserve the city's historic past were evident as long ago as 1934, when the Museum of Science and Industry opened, as did the John G Joicey Museum in the same year. Council housing began to replace inner-city slums in
9048-480: The name of a castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror 's eldest son, Robert Curthose . It was one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres during the Industrial Revolution . Newcastle was historically part of the county of Northumberland , but governed as a county corporate after 1400. In 1974, Newcastle became part of Tyne and Wear . The local authority is Newcastle City Council , which
9164-460: The north bank and Gateshead on the south bank, is the famous Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside . It is famed for its series of dramatic bridges, including the Tyne Bridge of 1928 which was built by Dorman Long of Middlesbrough , Robert Stephenson 's High Level Bridge of 1849, the first road/rail bridge in the world, and the Swing Bridge of 1876. Large-scale regeneration efforts have led to
9280-613: The period spy thriller Munich – The Edge of War . The following year, he reprised the role of Alfred Pennyworth in The Flash and also returned to voice Scar in Disney's centenary animated short Once Upon a Studio . In 2024, he performed Scar's song at the Hollywood Bowl 's The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film Concert Event . In 2024, Irons was cast in the Apple TV+ drama series The Morning Show where he will portray Alex Levy's ( Jennifer Aniston ) father for season 4. At
9396-561: The pilot for The Nearly Man (1974) and seven episodes in 1975. In 1977, he directed an episode for ITV Playhouse and did the adaptation of Charles Dickens 's Hard Times series. In the 1980s, Irvin made The Dogs of War (1980), starring Christopher Walken , which depicted a mercenary team attacking an African country. After that, Irvin made the horror film Ghost Story (1981), an adaptation of Peter Straub 's novel. Irvin's other films from that period include Champions (1984), starring John Hurt and Turtle Diary (1985),
9512-518: The play Impressionism . The play ran through 10 May 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. In 2008, Irons co-starred with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen in the western drama Appaloosa , directed by Harris. On 6 November 2008, TV Guide reported Irons would star as photographer Alfred Stieglitz with Joan Allen as painter Georgia O'Keeffe , in a Lifetime Television biopic, Georgia O'Keeffe (2009). For his performance he
9628-762: The replacement of former shipping premises with modern new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge - the Gateshead Millennium Bridge - integrated the Quayside more closely with the Gateshead Quayside, home to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (the venue for the Turner Prize 2011) and the Norman Foster -designed The Sage Gateshead music centre. The Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides are now
9744-415: The revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity . In 1882, Newcastle became the seat of an Anglican diocese , with St. Nicholas' Church becoming its cathedral. Newcastle's public transport system was modernised in 1901 when Newcastle Corporation Tramways electric trams were introduced to the city's streets, though these were replaced gradually by trolley buses from 1935, with
9860-619: The riverside to higher parts of the city centre and the extant Castle Keep , originally recorded in the 14th century, remain intact in places. Close, Sandhill and Quayside contain modern buildings as well as structures dating from the 15th–18th centuries, including Bessie Surtees House , the Cooperage and Lloyds Quayside Bars, Derwentwater House and House of Tides, a restaurant situated at a Grade I-listed 16th century merchant's house at 28–30 Close. The city has an extensive neoclassical centre referred to as Tyneside Classical, largely developed in
9976-399: The rural areas around it, and the winters are often compensated for by warm summers, with very long daylight hours in the summer months, longer than all other major English cities. Newcastle upon Tyne shares the same latitude as Copenhagen and southern Sweden. Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons ( / ˈ aɪ . ə n z / ; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. He
10092-518: The same film. On 8 November 2018, it was announced that Irons had been cast as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in HBO's Watchmen series. The series debuted earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination. In 2018, he played General Vladimir Korchnoi in Francis Lawrence 's spy thriller film Red Sparrow , based on Jason Matthews's book of
10208-594: The same name . In 2021, Irons played Rodolfo Gucci in Ridley Scott's biographical crime drama film House of Gucci . In 2017, he performed with Isabelle Huppert Correspondence 1944–1959 Readings from the epistles between Albert Camus and Maria Casares and a special creation of Harold Pinter 's Ashes to Ashes , at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. In 2022, Irons played British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in
10324-531: The same time he starred in the film The French Lieutenant's Woman (also 1981) opposite Meryl Streep . Vincent Canby of The New York Times compared him to a young Laurence Olivier writing, "Mr. Irons seems to be one of the few actors today who could be so completely convincing as the Victorian lover who thinks he's ahead of his time, being a follower of Darwin and a socially enlightened member of his privileged class, but who finds, ultimately, that he still has
10440-648: The show ranks among the most successful British television dramas, with Irons receiving nominations for the British Academy Television Award , the Primetime Emmy Award , and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. which is frequently ranked among the greatest British television dramas as well as greatest literary adaptations. Brideshead reunited him with Anthony Andrews , with whom he had appeared in The Pallisers seven years earlier. Around
10556-518: The statue, and the monument plinth was designed and built by Benjamin Green. The Grainger Market replaced an earlier market originally built in 1808 called the Butcher Market. The Grainger Market itself, was opened in 1835 and was Newcastle's first indoor market. At the time of its opening in 1835 it was said to be one of the largest and most beautiful markets in Europe. The opening was celebrated with
10672-542: The streetscape on both sides of the Tyne. Tyneside flats were built as terraces, one of each pair of doors led to an upstairs flat while the other led into the ground-floor flat, each of two or three rooms. A new development in the Ouseburn valley has recreated them; Architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula were attracted by the possibilities of high density without building high and getting rid of common areas. In terms of housing stock,
10788-490: The sublime cast led by Mr. Irons and Glenn Close - and the bravura force of Mike Nichols's direction - any repeat viewings are likely to be as dazzling as the first". He added "Mr. Irons...has never been better: he captures Henry's magnetic public charm, then goes on to reveal the suffering and longing within." The role which significantly raised his profile was Charles Ryder in the television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh 's Brideshead Revisited (1981). First broadcast on ITV ,
10904-521: The tram service finally coming to an end in 1950. The city acquired its first art gallery, the Laing Art Gallery in 1904, so named after its founder Alexander Laing, a Scottish wine and spirit merchant who wanted to give something back to the city in which he had made his fortune. Another art gallery, the Hatton Gallery (now part of Newcastle University ), opened in 1925. With the advent of
11020-541: The turn of the 21st century included the Life Science Centre in 2000 and Millennium Bridge in 2001. Based at St James' Park since 1886, Newcastle United F.C. became Football League members in 1893. They have won four top division titles (the first in 1905 and the most recent in 1927), six FA Cups (the first in 1910 and the most recent in 1955) and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. They broke
11136-471: The urbanisation of the city. In 1817 the Maling company, at one time the largest pottery company in the world, moved to the city. The Victorian industrial revolution brought industrial structures that included the 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (4 km) Victoria Tunnel , built in 1842, which provided underground wagon ways to the staithes . On 3 February 1879, Mosley Street in the city, was the first public road in
11252-590: The west of the city are the Upper Pennine Coal Measures and further west again the sandstones and mudstones of the Stainmore Formation, the local equivalent of the Millstone Grit . In large parts, Newcastle still retains a medieval street layout. Narrow alleys or ' chares ', most of which can only be traversed by foot, still exist in abundance, particularly around the riverside . Stairs from
11368-562: The width of Britain; the Wall incorporated the Vallum , a large rearward ditch with parallel mounds, and was built primarily for defence and to prevent the incursion of Pictish tribes from the north, and probably not as a fighting line for a major invasion. However, it seems that the Vallum stopped just west of Newcastle, where its role as a secondary line of defence was performed by the River Tyne . After
11484-427: The world to be lit up by the incandescent lightbulb . Newcastle was one of the first cities in the world to be lit up by electric lighting. Innovations in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the development of safety lamps , Stephenson's Rocket , Lord Armstrong 's artillery, Be-Ro flour, Lucozade , Joseph Swan 's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons ' invention of the steam turbine , which led to
11600-503: The world transfer record in 1996 by paying £15 million for Blackburn Rovers and England striker Alan Shearer , one of the most prolific goalscorers of that era. In 2017, Newcastle was the venue for the 2017 Freedom City festival. The 2017 Freedom City festival commemorated the 50 years since Dr Martin Luther King's visit to Newcastle, where King received his honorary degree from Newcastle University . In 2018 Newcastle hosted
11716-513: The Über- Morlock in the film The Time Machine (2002). In 2004, Irons played the title character in The Merchant of Venice . 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 films, The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) and Eragon (2006), though they didn't have any scenes together in
11832-713: Was Emmy-nominated for playing Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias in HBO 's Watchmen (2019). He starred as Pope Alexander VI in the Showtime historical series The Borgias (2011–2013). In October 2011, he was named the Goodwill Ambassador for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization . Irons was born on 19 September 1948 in Cowes on the Isle of Wight , to Paul Dugan Irons, an accountant, and Barbara Anne Brereton Brymer ( née Sharpe). Irons has
11948-417: Was all but destroyed by Odo of Bayeux . Because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose , son of William the Conqueror , erected a wooden castle there in the year 1080. The town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or New Castle . The wooden structure was replaced by a stone castle in 1087. The castle was rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in
12064-534: Was also one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party 's Caroline Lucas at the 2015 general election . In 2004, he publicly declared his support for the Countryside Alliance , referring to the 2004 Hunting Act as an "outrageous assault on civil liberties" and "one of the two most devastating parliamentary votes in the last century". Irons is an outspoken critic of
12180-704: Was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl . In 2011, Irons was criticised in the British Medical Journal for his fundraising activities in support of the College of Medicine , an alternative medicine lobby group in the UK linked to King Charles . In 2013, Irons caused controversy for an interview with the Huffington Post , in which he said he "doesn't have
12296-666: Was built around the town in the 13th century, to defend it from invaders during the Border war against Scotland. The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, and Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century. From 1530, a royal act restricted all shipments of coal from Tyneside to Newcastle Quayside , giving
12412-483: Was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Eldon Square Shopping Centre , including all but one side of the original Eldon Square itself. Immediately to the north-west of the city centre is Leazes Park , first opened to the public in 1873 after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this
12528-441: Was eventually stormed ("with roaring drummes") and sacked by Cromwell's allies. The grateful King bestowed the motto " Fortiter Defendit Triumphans " ("Triumphing by a brave defence") upon the town. Charles I was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646–7. Newcastle opened its first lunatic asylum in 1767. The asylum catered for people from the counties of Newcastle, Durham and Northumberland. The Newcastle Eccentrics of
12644-519: Was founded in 1963, followed by Newcastle Polytechnic in 1969; the latter received university status in 1992 and became the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (now known as Northumbria University ). Further efforts to preserve the city's historic past continued in the later 20th century, with the opening of Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum in 1983 and Stephenson Railway Museum in 1986. The Military Vehicle museum closed in 2006. New developments at
12760-485: Was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie . In 2008, two researchers, a linguist and a sound engineer, found "the perfect [male] voice" to be a combination of Irons's and Alan Rickman 's voices based on a sample of 50 voices. Coincidentally, the two actors played brothers in
12876-537: Was one of 40 British voices to read three to four verses (broadcast daily) of Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's 150-verse 18th century poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner . He portrayed the mathematician G. H. Hardy in the 2015 film The Man Who Knew Infinity . Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in Warner Bros. ' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017) and the 2021 director's cut of
12992-460: Was persuaded to sail a shipment of coal to Newcastle by merchants plotting to ruin him; however, his shipment arrived on the Tyne during a strike that had crippled local production, allowing him to turn a considerable profit. In the Sandgate area, to the east of the city, and beside the river, resided the close-knit community of keelmen and their families. They were so called because they worked on
13108-426: Was praised for recording the poetry of T. S. Eliot for BBC Radio 4 . Beginning in 2012 with The Waste Land , he went on to record Four Quartets in 2014, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock on the centenary of its publication in 2015, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats in 2016. He finally completed recording the entire canon of T. S. Eliot which was broadcast over New Year's Day 2017. In 2020, Irons
13224-444: Was said to 'have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone'. Of Grainger Town's 450 buildings, 244 are listed , of which 29 are grade I and 49 are grade II*. Grey's Monument , which commemorates Prime Minister Earl Grey and his Reform Act of 1832 , stands above Monument Metro Station and was designed and built by Edward Hodges Baily and Benjamin Green . Hodges, who also built Nelson's Column , designed and built
13340-695: Was the Vietnam War story Hamburger Hill (1987), about a violent close-quarters battle in which US soldiers attacked a well-fortified North Vietnamese Army position. Irvin then directed Next of Kin (1989), an action film starring Patrick Swayze about a police officer who starts a clan feud against a Mafia family to exact revenge for his brother's death. In the 1990s, Irvin directed Eminent Domain (1990), starring Donald Sutherland and Anne Archer . After that, he made Robin Hood (1991), which starred Patrick Bergin and Uma Thurman . Irvin's other films from
13456-485: Was the biopic Mandela's Gun (2016), relating Nelson Mandela 's times as a guerrilla fighter. Irvin is currently in talks to direct a Falklands War film about the true story of the Battle of Goose Green . Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne , or simply Newcastle ( / nj uː ˈ k æ s əl / new- KASS -əl , RP : / ˈ nj uː k ɑː s əl / NEW -kah-səl ),
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