Joan Plowright, the celebrated actress known for her distinguished career in theatre and film, died at the age of 95, her family confirmed.
Plowright gained widespread acclaim for her performances with the English Stage Company at the Royal Court and the National Theatre, during its early years at the Old Vic, which was led by her second husband, Laurence Olivier.
Together, Plowright and Olivier performed in John Osborne's The Entertainer on both the West End and Broadway, also starring in the film adaptation. At the National Theatre, she portrayed Portia opposite Olivier's Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, as well as Masha in Three Sisters, Sonya in Uncle Vanya, and the title role in Shaw's Saint Joan.
"It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, the Lady Olivier, inform you that she passed away peacefully on 16 January 2025 surrounded by her family at Denville Hall aged 95," a statement from the family read.
"She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire.
"She cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories. The family are deeply grateful to Jean Wilson and all those involved in her personal care over many years."
The Society of London Theatre announced that London's West End theatres will dim their lights for two minutes at 7 pm on Tuesday to honor Joan Plowright's memory.
"Dame Joan Plowright was an iconic and deeply respected figure in the world of theatre, leaving an indelible mark on the industry she shaped with her talent and dedication," the organization's co-CEO, Hannah Essex.
Who Was Joan Plowright?
Joan Plowright was born on October 28, 1929, in Brigg, Lincolnshire, and attended Scunthorpe Grammar School on a scholarship. She was the second of three children born to Daisy Margaret Burton, an amateur actress and opera singer who also taught dancing, and William Ernest Plowright, a journalist with a love for amateur dramatics. From a young age, Plowright knew she wanted to become an actor and won a drama trophy at a local theatre festival when she was 15. After leaving school at 17, she briefly worked as a supply teacher before training at the Old Vic Theatre School in London.
She made her stage debut in 1948 in Croydon, in a production titled If Four Walls Told, and soon joined the Old Vic Theatre Company. It was there she met fellow actor Roger Gage, whom she later married. Despite an unsuccessful audition for the role of Bianca in Orson Welles's stage production of Othello, Welles remembered her and cast her as Pip, the cabin boy, in his 1955 West End production of Moby Dick.
