History Trivia / IClaudius

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HelenMirren turned down the role of Drusilla. Ironically, she would later star in ''Film/{{Caligula}}''.

** On early episodes, Jacobi put a stone in his shoe so he would limp realistically. Once he got used to it, he didn't need the stone any more.

* ThrowItIn: For Livia's dying scene, John Hurt suggested Caligula actually jumped in bed with her, as that would be more realistic for the character. They made the take, and he spontaneously kissed her full in the lips to emphasise the kind of degenerate person Caligula was (Livia was his great-grandmother).

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Claudius is [[Series/DoctorWho The Master!]] [[note]]Twice, actually; Jacobi voiced the Master in the non-canon ''WebAnimation/ScreamOfTheShalka'', then was brought back canonically when ''Doctor Who'' returned to television.[[/note]]
*** Or, if you ''really'' want to be clever: "Hey! [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Claudius]] is playing Claudius!"
** Augustus is '''''Creator/BrianBlessed!!!'''''
** Livia is [[Film/{{Dune}} The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam!]]
** Tiberius is Inspector Wexford.
** Caligula is [[Film/{{Alien}} Kane!]]
*** Caligula is also [[Recap/DoctorWho50thASTheDayOfTheDoctor the Doctor]]. Which makes sense since Claudius is the Master.
*** Caligula and Macro were definitely a couple at [[TheNakedCivilServant one point]].
** Aelius Sejanus is [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard!]]
*** With Hair?!
** Macro is [[LordOfTheRings Gimli!]]
** Livilla is [[RockyHorrorPictureShow Magenta!]]
*** While Nero is another of the Transylvanians. Or, alternatively, [[{{Series/Porridge}} Lukewarm]].
** Martina the Poisoner is is [[Series/{{Blackadder}} Nursie!]]
** Herod is [[Literature/BridgetJones Uncle Geoffrey!]]
** Julia is [[Series/MayToDecember Miss Flood!!]]
** When Claudius is hiding from the Praetorian Guard, he is found by Boys From The Blackstuff's Yosser, whose sergeant is [[Film/AHardDaysNight Norm!]]
*** Yosser is also [[Titanic Captain Smith]] and [[Film/LordOfTheRings King Theoden]]
** Agrippina is [[Recap/DoctorWhoS25E3SilverNemesis Lady Peinforte]]!
** And pretty much every actor who turns up has appeared in at least one other BBC production. There's even a [[http://calapine.dreamwidth.org/459307.html Doctor Who/I, Claudius DRINKING GAME]].
** Castor is [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Mr. Gibbs]], though [[IWasQuiteALooker you really wouldn't know it.]]
** Livia's slave in episode one is [[Series/AlloAllo Lieutenant Gruber]]!
** The British chieftain Caractacus in the final episode is [[Series/ToTheManorBorn Richard DeVere]]!

*** Yosser is also [[Film/Titanic (1997) Captain Smith]] and [[Film/LordOfTheRings King Theoden]]

*** Yosser is also [[Film/Titanic(1997) Captain Smith]] and [[Film/LordOfTheRings King Theoden]]

*** Yosser is also [[Film/Titanic Captain Smith]] and [[Film/LordOfTheRings King Theoden]]

** When Claudius is hiding from the Praetorian Guard, he is found by [[Series/BoysFromTheBlackstuff Yosser]], whose sergeant is [[Film/AHardDaysNight Norm!]]

** Martina the Poisoner is is [[{{Blackadder}} Nursie!]]

* {{Plagiarism}}: Not this work, but it turns out that Richard Condon plagiarized several passages from ''I, Claudius'' in ''TheManchurianCandidate''. This went unnoticed until a few years after Condon died.

** Claudius is [[Series/DoctorWho The Master!]]

** Augustus is '''''BrianBlessed!!!'''''

** Some examples where this is purely played straight include JohnHurt (aged 36) as Caligula from the age of 17 to his death at 28, Christopher Biggins (aged 28) as 17-year-old Nero, and Graham Seed (aged 26) as ''13''-year-old Britannicus.

** Herod is [[BridgetJonesDiary Uncle Geoffrey!]]

** The British chieftain Caractacus in the final episode is [[ToTheManorBorn Richard DeVere]]!

* Castor is [[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Mr. Gibbs]], though [[IWasQuiteALooker you really wouldn't know it.]]

* Castor is [[PiratesOfTheCarribean Mr. Gibbs]], though [[IWasQuiteALooker you really wouldn't know it.]]

** DerekJacobi, aged 38, played Claudius from the age of 19 to his death at 63.

*** Or, if you ''really'' want to be clever: "Hey! [[{{Hamlet}} Claudius]] is playing Claudius!"
** Augustus is '''''[[BrianBlessed BRIAN BLESSED!!!]]'''''
** Livia is [[{{Dune}} The Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam!]]
** Caligula is [[{{Alien}} Kane!]]
*** Caligula and Macro were definitely a couple at [[{{The Naked Civil Servant}} one point]].

** Herod is [[{{BridgetJonesDiary}} Uncle Geoffrey!]]

** Aelius Sejanus is [[StarTrek Captain Picard!]]

** Augustus is [[strike: [[FlashGordon Vultan]] ]] '''''[[BrianBlessed BRIAN BLESSED!!!]]'''''