Tony-winning actress Joan Plowright passes away at 95
Renowned British thespian Joan Plowright, who alongside her late spouse Laurence Olivier reinvigorated the UK's theatrical landscape post-World War II, has passed away at 95. Her family announced Friday that Plowright expired at Denville Hall, an actors’ retirement home in southern England, enveloped by her family.
"Her career spanned seven decades across theatre, cinema, and television until blindness compelled her to retire," her family declared. "We beam with pride over Joan’s accomplishments and cherish her as a loving, profoundly inclusive human."
As part of a remarkable cadre of British performers, including Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins, and Maggie Smith, Plowright garnered a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and nominations for an Oscar and an Emmy. Queen Elizabeth II granted her damehood in 2004.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, Plowright graced the stage in numerous roles, from Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” to Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Her performances were awe-inspiring in Eugene Ionesco’s “The Chairs,” and in George Bernard Shaw’s “Major Barbara” and “Saint Joan.”
"I feel privileged to have lived such a life," Plowright remarked in a 2010 dialogue with The Actor’s Work. "The magic persists for me when the curtain rises or the lights ignite, heralding the unfolding of a new tale."
Plowright's esteemed standing in London was undeniable, as theaters across the West End will dim their lights for two minutes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to honor her.
Born in Brigg, Lincolnshire, Joan Ann Plowright was immersed in theater from age 3, with her mother leading an amateur drama troupe. She spent school breaks in university drama programs, later studying at the Laban Art of Movement Studio in Manchester and securing a scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre’s drama school in London.
Commencing her London stage career in 1954, Plowright joined the Royal Court Theatre in 1956, gaining notice in works by the Angry Young Men, such as John Osborne. Her contemporaries included working-class actors Albert Finney, Alan Bates, and Anthony Hopkins.
Her cinematic debut was uncredited in John Huston’s adaptation of “Moby Dick” in 1956, starring Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab. The following year, she co-starred with Olivier in Osborne’s “The Entertainer,” playing his daughter, and reprised her role in the 1960 film.
By this time, Plowright’s marriage to actor Roger Cage had concluded, as had Olivier’s with Vivien Leigh. The couple wed in Connecticut in 1961, both appearing on Broadway—Olivier in “Becket” and Plowright in “A Taste of Honey,” for which she earned a Tony.
Olivier once penned a love note to Plowright: “Thinking of you brings a serene peace, a tender calm without violence or passion... it sends me into the street with a smile for everyone.”
After Olivier's death in 1989 at 82, Plowright revived her career at 60, embracing both highbrow and commercial projects. She appeared in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jane Eyre” in 1996, the Merchant-Ivory “Surviving Picasso,” and Disney’s live-action “101 Dalmatians” with Glenn Close.
She co-starred with Walter Matthau in “Dennis the Menace” and made a cameo in the satirical “Last Action Hero” in 1993. Plowright was among the select actors to win two Golden Globes in one year, securing awards for “Stalin” and “Enchanted April,” the latter earning her an Oscar nomination.
Not all ventures were triumphant, such as the ill-fated “The Scarlet Letter” and a stalled TV pilot for “Driving Miss Daisy.” Her role in the 2011 family comedy “Goose on the Loose” with Chevy Chase failed to impress critics.
Later, she became the custodian of Olivier’s legacy—awarding honors, defending him publicly, and curating his letters. “I chose this because I was privileged to be with him,” she shared with The Daily Telegraph in 2003. “Fame invites backlash, and I sought to set the record straight.”
Plowright is survived by her three children—Tamsin, Richard, and Julie-Kate, all in acting, along with several grandchildren.
