Irons, Jeremy (1948– )

English actor. A hint of ambiguity under his surface sheen made him perfect for such film roles as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune (1990; Academy Award) and the twin brothers in Dead Ringers (1988). His aristocratic bearing and precise diction have frequently led to casting as repressed, upper-class characters. Other films include The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), The Mission (1986), Damage (1992), and Lolita (1997).

He came to prominence in a television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited (1981). His other screen appearances include Un Amour de Swann/Swann in Love (1984), M. Butterfly (1993), Die Hard: With a Vengeance and Stealing Beauty (both 1996), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), The Time Machine (2002), And Now Ladies and Gentlemen (2003), and Being Julia (2004).