Derek Jacobi Joins Jeremy Irons On Showtime Series 'The Borgias'

Tony and Olivier Award winner Derek Jacobi is set to join Jeremy Irons for Showtime's new series 'The Bordias.' The drama series is based on the infamous Italian Renaissance family The Borgias.

As previously announced Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons will star in the epic drama series as Rodrigo Borgia, the cunning, manipulative patriarch of The Borgia family who ascends to the highest circles of power within Renaissance-era Italy.

Additionally, Academy Award winning director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) will create and executive produce the series as well as direct the first two episodes. Veteran film and television writer/producer Michael Hirst, who created, wrote and executive produced SHOWTIME's original series The Tudors, will serve as executive producer/writer.

THE BORGIAS will be a complex, unvarnished portrait of one of history's most intriguing and infamous dynastic families. The series begins as the family's patriarch Rodrigo (Jeremy Irons), becomes Pope, propelling him, his two Machiavellian sons Cesare and Juan, and his scandalously beautiful daughter, Lucrezia, to become the most powerful and influential family of the Italian Renaissance. And all that power and influence eventually leads to their demise. As Machiavelli once said about his friends, the Borgias, "Politics have no relation to morals."

Knighted in 1994 for his services to the theatre, Jacobi is known as a preeminent classical actor. He won a Tony Award for his performance in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and was nominated for his work in BREAKING THE CODE. Other Broadway credits include UNCLE VANYA, CYRANO DE BERGERAC and THE SUICIDE, while he is also known for his performance of the title role in the BBC miniseries "I, Claudius."

'The Bordias' is set to premiere in early 2011.