This month, pre-war epic Munich – The Edge of War hits theatres and Netflix accounts in Ireland. Set in autumn 1938, Europe stands on the brink of war. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s government desperately seeks a peaceful solution. With the pressure building, Hugh Legat, British civil servant, and Paul von Hartmann, German diplomat, travel to Munich for the emergency conference. In the role of Chamberlain, we see a familiar face – that of veteran actor Jeremy Irons.

I am a HUGE fan of Mr Irons. His gentle gait and strong brow are handsome, sure. But truly fascinating to me is a) this man’s expansive range, and b) the fact that he is a certified Hibernophile.

Jeremy Irons Can Do Evil

Let’s start with range. Most young readers won’t be sure who I’m talking about but have seen at least two of his biggest movies. One is Die Hard With A Vengeance, in which he plays Simon Gruber. Another is The Lion King (1994). No, not the Beyoncé version – the 1994 animation. And no, he isn’t a background character – he’s the voice of Scar. Possibly the number one most famous villainous jungle cat in the Disney multiverse, I dare say.

Further to that, Irons can do ruthless bully in the role of Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI, in hit Netflix series The Borgias. Well worth a watch if you are missing the nasty family dynamic of Succession, The Borgias is a historical drama following the rise of the Borgoi family to the top of the Catholic Church. From Pride Rock to the papacy, Irons can do evil.

But our Irons isn’t limited to evil roles, oh no. Irons can do innocent, too…

Jeremy Irons Can Do Innocent

In the 1981 television series Brideshead Revisited, a dramatisation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, Irons plays the lead character and narrator Charles Ryder.

As put perfectly by Ben Heineman of The Atlantic, “’Downton Abbey’ is Entertainment, but ‘Brideshead Revisited’ Was Art”. According to a friend of mine’s mother, this was “THE show” back in the day. And after a second or two of watching it, you know exactly why. This 30-year-old BBC series that glitters with good actors was far beyond its time, and endures for its fascinating, multi-layered characters, razor-sharp dialogue and beautifully opulent scenes. I don’t remember a single sex scene – let alone a kissing scene – but it carries a lusty aesthetic vibe that rivals Call Me By Your Name, while somehow poetically presenting the struggle of upholding Catholic ideals.

Part and parcel of this excellent show is Irons’ performance as a bright-eyed Oxford student struck by the magnetism of eccentric heir to Brideshead estate, Sebastian Flyte, and his rich and weird family.

It’s amazing. You don’t need the DVD – Brideshead is now available to stream on Amazon. 

Jeremy Irons Can Do… Ireland

In 1978, Irons married Dublin-born actress, Sinead Cusack. Speaking about the secret to their long-standing marriage, Jeremy previously told the Evening Standard that he still gets excited to see her after they spend a couple of days apart. The couple have two sons together – Sam, who works as a photographer, and Max, who works as an actor.

Irons is very much in love. He said in 2020, “I find her more beautiful now than I ever have. It is extraordinary when you have been with someone that long, you become part of them, they become part of you – you’ve been through so much together. It’s wonderful. We live in a throw-away society. I am a mender, always have been, it drives Sinead mad.”

In 1997, without telling his wife, Irons bought a dilapidated, historically-significant castle site, Kilcoe Castle, between Ballydehob and Skibbereen in West Cork. However, she didn’t seem to mind. “Jeremy can’t bear waste,” she told Vanity Fair. “I think he saw that castle as a beautiful ruin that needed to be saved.” Although the locals were apparently unhappy with the pink tinge the restored castle took on, owing to its terracotta exterior, Irons and his family are very much a part of the culture of West Cork. He and Cusack also share a property in the Liberties in Dublin. So yes – Irons can do Ireland, too. What range.

Munich – The Edge of War will be available to watch on Netflix from January 21.