Renowned British actress Dame Joan Plowright, the widow of Laurence Olivier, passed away on January 16, 2025. She was 95 years old and died at Denville Hall in Northwood, England. Her family reported that she had a distinguished career in theatre, film, and television spanning over seven decades until her retirement due to blindness.
Plowright, born in 1929, started her professional stage career in 1948 with the play “If Four Walls Could Talk.” By 1956, she became an essential part of the Royal Court Theatre, where she earned a reputation as a pivotal figure in the “kitchen sink” realism movement of that era. Her performances were lauded for their unique authenticity and emotional sincerity.
During the 1950s, Plowright amassed an impressive stage repertoire with notable performances in plays like “The Seagull” by Chekhov, “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare, and “The Chairs” by Eugene Ionesco. She also excelled in George Bernard Shaw’s plays “Major Barbara” and “Saint Joan.” Her range as an actress allowed her to portray characters from teenage girls to upper-class English women.
Awarded the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1961 for “A Taste of Honey,” Plowright’s film career reached its peak with an Academy Award nomination for “Enchanted April” (1991). She also won a Golden Globe for this film and a second one for her role in the television biopic “Stalin.”
“I’ve been very privileged to have such a life,” Plowright expressed in a 2010 interview. “I mean it’s magic and I still feel, when a curtain goes up or the lights come on if there’s no curtain, the magic of a beginning of what is going to unfold in front of me.”
From 1961 until his death in 1989, Plowright was married to renowned actor and director Lord Laurence Olivier. This period is considered a significant chapter in British theatrical history. The couple played a crucial role in the establishment and development of the National Theatre, where Plowright gave memorable performances in productions such as “Uncle Vanya,” “Saint Joan,” and “Three Sisters.”
Plowright experienced a career resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s, featuring in numerous celebrated films like “Equus” (1977), “The Dressmaker” (1988), “I Love You to Death,” “Jane Eyre,” “Surviving Picasso,” “101 Dalmatians,” and “Tea With Mussolini,” the latter of which also starred British acting legends Maggie Smith and Judi Dench.
As an influential member of the National Theatre, Plowright remained a steadfast supporter of the institution throughout its existence. Her impact on the National Theatre was profound, and she maintained strong ties with the theatrical community throughout her career.
In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II recognized Plowright’s contributions to the arts by appointing her as a Dame Commander of the British Empire. The Scunthorpe Civic Theatre was renamed the Plowright Theatre in her honor.
Plowright retired from acting in 2014 due to macular degeneration, which resulted in legal blindness. Her last stage performance was in 2013 when she reprised her role in “Saint Joan” at the National Theatre in London for its 50th anniversary. She later appeared in the 2018 documentary “Tea With the Dames” alongside her contemporaries.
Her family stated, “She cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories.” They added, “She survived her many challenges with Plowright grit and courageous determination to make the best of them, and that she certainly did.”
West End theatres in London will dim their lights for two minutes on January 21, 2025, at 7 PM as a tribute to her legacy.
Dame Joan Plowright is survived by her children Tamsin, Julie-Kate, and Richard, her grandchildren Shelley, Troy, Ali, and Jeremy, step-granddaughter and great-granddaughters Kaya and Sophia, and a great-granddaughter soon to arrive. She was first married to actor Roger Gage from 1953 to 1960.
