Winning the “Triple Crown of Acting”—nabbing an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony—is an exceptionally rare feat. But not for Jeremy Irons, who has been regularly gracing screens and stages since the late 60s. He has played a Borgia, twin gynecologists, Humbert Humbert, Claus von Bülow, and too many royals, aristocrats, and Shakespearean characters to count. Now he’s tackling British prime minister Neville Chamberlain in the Netflix spy thriller Munich: The Edge of War. The film is set in the fall of 1938, as Hitler was preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Chamberlain’s government scrambled to find a peaceful solution. Herewith, Irons shares his key components to the good life. —Jane Sarkin
Airline: My own.
Airport: London City.
Alibi: “My dog ate it.”
Appliance: A Henry vacuum cleaner.
Attitude: Let’s make sure it’s fun.
Bag: Suitable and much used.
Bedtime: These days, anytime.
Bike: BMW R100 RT.
Birthday: Forgotten.
Boyfriend/girlfriend: I’ve forgotten.
Breakfast, weekday: Leisurely.
Breakfast, weekend: All morning.
Child: Mine.
Cocktail: The third vodka martini, straight up with a twist.
Cocktail appetizer: The menu.
Couple: Hook and eye.
Date: Today’s.
Diet: Anything you fancy, in moderation.
Dinner, weekday: With friends, no menu, no check.
Dinner, weekend: With family, no menu, no check.
Dress: Leaves a lot to the imagination.
Drive: From Bologna to Florence on the bike.
Enemy: One on the run.
Escape: Kilcoe. Where’s that?
Excuse: “Life got in the way.”
Flaw: Forgetfulness.
Friend:
Mrs. Irons.
Good-bye: “Did he just leave?”
Hideaway: That would be telling.
Hotel: So would that.
Insult: “Are you really going to do it like that?”
Last Meal: Six oysters, soft scrambled egg on white, lemon sorbet, and a glass of Guinness.
Lunch, weekday: See above.
Lunch, weekend: See above, plus champagne.
Match: A love match.
Name: Any that you can still remember.
Neighbor: A friend.
Nonfiction book: The Ashley Book of Knots, by Clifford W. Ashley.
Novel: Any that you don’t want to end.
Pants: Comfy and serviceable.
Pen: One you can find. With a nib.
Pet: Smudge.
Piece of advice: “Don’t need too much.”
Podcast: West Cork.
Restaurant: The Wolseley, in Mayfair.
Ride: When you feel like a centaur.
Saying: “Those who hear not the music think the dancer mad.”
Singer: The nightingale.
SPICE: Spice of life.
Spouse: The second Mrs. Irons.
Storm: In a teacup.
Taste: Individual.
Television series: Not for me to say …
Theme song to your life: Leonard Cohen singing “Always.”
Time of day: Crepuscule.
Toast: “To our wives and sweethearts. May they never meet.”
Vacation: Sailing with friends.
Victim: One without humor.
View: Broad-minded.
Wake-up time: It is, isn’t it.
Work of art: Renzo Piano’s Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, in New Caledonia.
Jeremy’s Essentials
