What is Jeremy Irons' Net Worth and Salary?
Jeremy Irons is a multiple-award-winning English actor who has a net worth of $25 million. Jeremy Irons began his career on stage performing at the Bristol Old Vic. Since then, he has appeared in numerous films and television series, with notable credits including "Brideshead Revisited," "Moonlighting," "The Mission," "Dead Ringers," and "Reversal of Fortune," the lattermost of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Irons also voiced the villain Scar in Disney's "The Lion King," and earned praise for his roles in the historical television series "Elizabeth I" and "The Borgias."
Early Life
Jeremy Irons was born on September 19, 1948 in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England to Barbara and Paul. He has an older brother named Christopher and an older sister named Felicity. As a youth, Irons went to the independent Sherborne School in Dorset, where he played the drum and the harmonica in the four-man school band.
Career Beginnings in Theatre
As an incipient professional actor, Irons trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He performed in his first plays in 1969, with productions including "The Winter's Tale," "Hay Fever," "What the Butler Saw," "Major Barbara," "Macbeth," and "The Boy Friend." The following year, Irons was in "Oh! What a Lovely War" and "The School for Scandal" at Little Theatre Bristol. From 1971 to 1973, he played John the Baptist and Judas in "Godspell" at Roundhouse and Wyndham's Theatre.
Film Career
Irons made his feature film debut in 1980 with a supporting part in the biographical drama "Nijinsky." He had his first leading role the next year, starring opposite Meryl Streep in the romantic drama "The French Lieutenant's Woman." Another leading role came in 1982 in Jerzy Skolimowski's "Moonlighting," in which Irons played an exiled Polish electrician in London. The actor subsequently starred in such films as "Betrayal," "The Wild Duck," "Swann in Love," and "The Mission." In 1988, Irons gave one of his most renowned performances in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller "Dead Ringers," playing twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle. He followed this with starring roles in "A Chorus of Disapproval," "Australia," and "Danny, the Champion of the World."
In 1990, Irons portrayed British attorney and socialite Claus von Bülow in "Reversal of Fortune," and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. Following this success, he was in Jirí Menzel's "The Beggar's Opera" and portrayed the titular author in Steven Soderbergh's "Kafka." Subsequent credits included "Waterland," "Damage," "M. Butterfly," "The House of the Spirits," and Disney's animated "The Lion King," in which he voiced the villainous Scar. Throughout the remainder of the 90s, Irons had notable parts in such films as "Die Hard with a Vengeance," "Chinese Box," "Lolita," and "The Man in the Iron Mask." In the early-to-mid 00s, his credits included "The Time Machine," "And Now… Ladies and Gentleman," "The Merchant of Venice," "Being Julia," "Kingdom of Heaven," "Casanova," "Inland Empire," and "Eragon." Other notable roles for Irons have been in "Appaloosa," "Margin Call," "Beautiful Creatures," "Race," "Assassin's Creed," "Justice League," and "House of Gucci."
Television Career
Irons began his television career on British TV in the early 70s; his credits at the time included "The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes," "The Pallisers," and "Notorious Woman." In 1977, he starred in an adaptation of the H. E. Bates novel "Love for Lydia," and the year after that, starred in an adaptation of the Aidan Higgins novel "Langrishe, Go Down." Irons had his breakthrough role, however, in 1981, when he played Charles Ryder in the ITV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited."
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After only sporadic work on television throughout the 90s, Irons returned to the small screen in 2000 to portray horologist Rupert Gould in the miniseries "Longitude." Following this, he portrayed F. Scott Fitzgerald in the television film "Last Call." Irons had one of his most acclaimed television roles in 2005, when he portrayed Robert Dudley in the miniseries "Elizabeth I"; for his performance, he won both Golden Globe and Emmy Awards. His subsequent credits were "The Colour of Magic" and the television film "Georgia O'Keeffe." Irons had his next major role from 2011 to 2013, portraying Rodrigo Borgia in the historical fiction series "The Borgias." His other credits have included the two-part television film "Henry IV" and the superhero limited series "Watchmen."
Theatre Career
Following his success on London's West End in the 70s, Irons made his Broadway debut in 1984 in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing." Starring opposite Glenn Close, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. Irons subsequently returned to England to appear in "The Winter's Tale," "The Rover," and "Richard II." In 2003, he appeared in a production of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" in New York. Irons was next in "Celebration," "Embers," and "Never So Good." He returned to Broadway in 2009 to play Thomas Buckle in the play "Impressionism." His later credits include "The Mystery Plays" and a revival of "Long Day's Journey into Night."
Personal Life and Real Estate
In 1969, Irons wed Julie Hallam, who he divorced the same year. Later, in 1978, he married Irish actress Sinéad Cusack; the couple has two sons named Samuel and Maximilian, both of whom have appeared in films with their father.
Irons owns Kilcoe Castle in Ireland, and has another Irish residence in the Liberties area of Dublin. Additionally, he maintains homes in Cowes, Oxfordshire, and London.
