Sir Derek George Jacobi CBE (/ˈdʒækəbi/; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor and director. A "forceful, commanding stage presence",[1] Jacobi has enjoyed a successful and distinguished stage career, appearing in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet.[2] He is also known for his performances in Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya and Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac.[3] He was given a knighthood for his services to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994[4] and is a member of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog.