A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as "Hamlet", "Uncle Vanya", and "Oedipus the King". He has twice been awarded a Laurence Olivier Award, first for his performance of the eponymous hero in "Cyrano de Bergerac" in 1983 and the second for his Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" in 2009. He also received a Tony Award for his performance in "Much Ado About Nothing" in 1984 and a Primetime Emmy Award in 1988 for "The Tenth Man". His stage work includes playing Octavius Caesar, Edward II, Richard III and Thomas Becket.