Jason Isaacs filmography and biography
Date of birth: 6 June 1963, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK
Jason Isaacs biography
Jason Isaacs is the 3rd of 4 children.
He studied Law at Bristol University and graduated in 1985 with a degree
in law but decided to study acting.
Whilst at Bristol University he directed and/or appeared in over 20
productions.
Whilst at the Central School of Speech and Drama he met his wife Emma
and graduated from there in 1989.
Jason Isaacs trivia
- Has a daughter named Lily, born on 23 March 2002
- Was set to play Dr. William Birkin in
Resident Evil: Apocalypse, but left the project.
- Had an uncredited role as Dr. William Birkin (and the narrator) in
Resident Evil.
- Has a daughter named Ruby, born August 2005.
- Shares two roles with Hans Conreid. Conreid appeared in the Walt Disney
animated version of Peter Pan, while Isaacs appeared in the 2003 live
action film. Both films followed a tradition encouraged by James
Barrie, and followed in most stage productions, that Mr. Darling and
Captain Hook be played by the same actor. Accordingly, he and Conreid
played both parts in their respective films.
- Longtime best friend of writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson.
- In addition to doubling for Mel Gibson (I), Girard Swan
worked as his Stand In and Photo Double on The Patriot.
- Met his wife at drama school.
- His family originates from Eastern Europe.
- Speaks Spanish fluently.
- Harry Potter co-star Gary Oldman is one of his favorite actors.
- Ranked 54 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars (2009).
Jason Isaacs quotes
- On the Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling: "I went off and read the
books after the audition and I read all four books in one sitting - you
know - didn't wash, didn't eat, drove around with them on the steering
wheel like a lunatic. I suddenly understood why my friends, who I'd
thought where slightly backward, had been so addicted to these
children's books. They're like crack."
- "Every time I make a plan, God laughs at me."
- "I imagine like most of us that I'd like obscene amounts of money but
the people I met and worked with who have those obscene amounts of
money and have obscene amounts of fame have awful lives. Really. I mean
hideously compromised lives. And I can go anywhere. No one knows who I
am. I can go on the tube and bus and wander through the streets. So I'm
quite happy not to get the girl."
- "Look, I play all these tough guys and thugs and strong, complex
characters. In real life, I am a cringing, neurotic Jewish mess. Can't
I for once play that on stage?" -to the producers of the stage version
of "Angels in America" while auditioning for the part of "Louis".
- This wasn't just a sitcom. It was like watching a five-act Ibsen
(Henrik Ibsen) play. Corbett was making us laugh, but we were
laughing at his pain and the hopelessness of his situation. Then there
were the story lines ... politics, class, religion, sex. This wasn't
what an early-1960s comedy was supposed to deal with. Everybody knows
his Steptoe (Steptoe and Son) voice, but that was
nothing like his real voice. He was actually raised in Wythenshawe. He
had that peculiar northern thing of trying to make his accent posher
than it was. A bit like Harold, really. So much of his real life
mirrored Steptoe and I think Galton (Ray Galton) and Simpson
(Alan Simpson (I)) picked up on that. Unfortunately, typecasting
was far more prevalent in those days. Harry H. Corbett was,
without doubt, the finest actor in the country, but the more successful
he was as Steptoe, the less work he was offered. He wanted to walk
away, but he couldn't. He was very comfortably trapped. I've got mates
who are in exactly the same situation. Starring in hugely successful
shows, earning loads of money - but they can't stand their jobs. The
country loved Harold Steptoe, but Corbett hated him. Really hated him.
(On playing Harry H. Corbett in
The Curse of Steptoe (2008) (TV))