Inside PBS Blog

Several weeks ago, we asked you which of your favorite PBS personalities you’d like to see featured in a “Where Are They Now?” series.  This week, at the request of Twitter user Gerard Donahue, we bring you the cast of “I, Claudius,” the legendary series that ran on Masterpiece Theatre in 1977.

Said to be historically accurate, and one of Masterpiece’s most popular dramas ever, “I, Claudius” follows the story of the Roman Empire from Emperor Augustus to Caligula, including Claudius’ own reign.  Produced by the BBC and based on novels by Robert Graves, the series introduced the world to several actors who went on to have memorable careers in theater and film. 

So where are they now?

Sir Derek Jacobi (knighted in both Britain and Denmark) played the title role of Claudius, winning a BAFTA award for his performance.  An accomplished stage and film actor, Sir Jacobi has also won a Tony Award for Best Actor, for Much Ado About Nothing; an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special, for The Tenth Man; and a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, for Twelfth Night.

Playing the role of Sejanus, right hand man to Claudius’ son Tiberius, was Patrick Stewart, who may best known for playing Star Trek character Captain Jean-Luc Picard.  Like Sir Jacobi, Mr. Stewart has had an extensive career in theater, including Prospero in The Tempest on Broadway and the title role in an inverted version of Othello. Most recently, he has been seen as Professor Xavier in the X-Men films.

One of the most powerful women in Rome, the proud Livia was played by Sian Phillips.  The Welsh actress may best be remembered as Claudius’ Queen, but you may also know her as Ursula Mossbank in the musical film Goodbye Mister Chips.  Recently she has been seen in London’s West End in Calendar Girls and heard on Rufus Wainwright’s 2007 spoken word album Release the Stars.

John Hurt, who played vile Emperor Caligula, has had a career in theater and film that spans five decades, with appearances in a number of Shakespeare’s plays, including the role of the Fool opposite of Laurence Olivier’s King in King Lear.  He has had recent roles as the wand-maker in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harold Oxley in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  You may remember Mr. Hunt best, though, as Kane, the first victim in Alien. 

If you wonder where some of your favorite PBS presonalities or characters are today, let us know. We’ll try to catch up with more of your favorites here. (Cast photos are from the BBC.)

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