Film & TV / Theatre & dance
Danny Jacobs
born 1968 · actor, voice actor, comedian
Detroit-born voice of King Julien in The Penguins of Madagascar, who ran the Gem and Century Theatres in downtown Detroit in the early 2000s.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 58- Detroit years
- 1968–1980s, 2000–2002
- Field
- Film & TV, Theatre & dance
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Danny Jacobs was born in Detroit and caught the acting bug at Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods, where he sat in on rehearsals for a production of West Side Story. He did community theater while enrolled at Wayne State University, then transferred to the University of Arizona to study musical theater. In 1996–97 his performance as Aram in Richard Kalinoski's drama Beast on the Moon won acting awards in Michigan, Florida and Wisconsin. From 2000 to 2002 he served as producing artistic director of the Gem and Century Theatres, the twin downtown playhouses that had been rolled five blocks to Madison Street in 1997. His career then moved to animation and video games, where he took over the role of King Julien from Sacha Baron Cohen in The Penguins of Madagascar and All Hail King Julien.
Highlights
- Voice of King Julien in The Penguins of Madagascar (2008–2015) and All Hail King Julien (2014–2017)
- Producing artistic director of Detroit's Gem and Century Theatres, 2000–2002
- Victor Zsasz in the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City
- Stage awards in three states for Beast on the Moon (1996–97)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 4
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1980s
Bishop Gallagher High School
Closed · 1962–2002
Catholic high school where Jacobs discovered acting; it merged with St. Florian High School in 2002 to form Trinity Catholic, which closed in 2005.
Studied here · 1980s
Wayne State University
Detroit's public research university in Midtown, where Jacobs enrolled and did community theater before transferring to Arizona.
Worked here · 2000–2002
Gem Theatre
Intimate 1927 playhouse, moved five blocks on wheels in 1997 (a Guinness record); Jacobs was its producing artistic director. Today an event venue.
Worked here · 2000–2002
Century Theatre
Small theater built by the women of the Twentieth Century Club beside their 1903 clubhouse; moved together with the Gem in 1997.