British actress Joan Plowright, known for her award-winning performances, has passed away at the age of 95. Plowright, who was married to the legendary actor Laurence Olivier, was part of a prominent theatrical couple.
Her family confirmed her death, stating that she passed away at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors in southern England. She was surrounded by her loved ones during her final moments.
Plowright had a successful career spanning over seven decades in theatre, film, and television. Unfortunately, she had to retire from acting due to blindness. Her family expressed pride in her accomplishments and described her as a loving and inclusive individual.
Part of an astonishing generation of British actors — including Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins and Maggie Smith — Plowright won a Tony Award and nominations for an Oscar and an Emmy. She was awarded the title of dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, Plowright racked up dozens of stage roles in everything from Chekhov’s “The Seagull” to Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” She stunned in Eugene Ionesco’s “The Chairs,” and George Bernard Shaw’s totemic two female roles “Major Barbara” and “Saint Joan.”
Plowright appeared in plays by John Osborne, Shelagh Delaney and Arnold Wesker. The new, rough-hewn, working-class actors like Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Anthony Hopkins were her peers.
“I’ve been very privileged to have such a life,” Plowright said in a 2010 interview with The Actor’s Work. “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,”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
