Joan Plowright facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lady Olivier DBE
Plowright in 1958
Born	Joan Ann Plowright (1929-10-28)28 October 1929 Brigg, Lincolnshire, England
Died	16 January 2025(2025-01-16) (aged 95) London, England
Alma mater	Old Vic Theatre School
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1948–2014 2018
Spouse(s)	Roger Gage ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1960)​ Laurence Olivier ​ ​ (m. 1961; died 1989)​
Children	3
Relatives	David Plowright (brother)

Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier (born Plowright; October 28, 1929 – January 16, 2025), also known as Dame Joan Plowright, was a famous English actress. Her acting career lasted for more than sixty years. She won many awards, including two Golden Globe Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Tony Award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame.

Joan Plowright studied acting at the Old Vic Theatre School. She later performed on stage at the Royal National Theatre, where she met her husband, Laurence Olivier. They acted together in the play The Entertainer in London in 1957 and on Broadway in 1958. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in A Taste of Honey in 1961. She also won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in Filumena in 1978.

She first appeared in a film in a small, uncredited role in Moby Dick (1956). Later, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the movie Enchanted April (1991). She was also nominated for BAFTA Awards for her roles in The Entertainer (1960) and Equus (1977). She acted in many other films, including Dennis the Menace (1993) and 101 Dalmatians (1996). She also lent her voice to children's animated movies like Dinosaur (2000) and Curious George (2006).

On television, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the TV film Stalin (1992). She stopped acting in 2014 because of a serious eye condition called macular degeneration. Her last appearance on film was in the documentary Nothing Like a Dame (2018).

Early Life and Education

Joan Ann Plowright was born on October 28, 1929, in Brigg, Lincolnshire, England. Her mother was Daisy Margaret Burton, and her father was William Ernest Plowright, who worked as a journalist and newspaper editor. Joan went to Scunthorpe Grammar School. After that, she trained to be an actress at The Old Vic Theatre School.

Acting Career Highlights

Plowright as Jo (right) with Angela Lansbury as Helen, in the 1961 Broadway production of A Taste of Honey

Joan Plowright first performed on stage in Croydon in 1948. Her first performance in London was in 1954. In 1956, she joined the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. She appeared in plays like The Country Wife and The Chairs.

Her first film role was uncredited in Moby Dick (1956). In 1957, she starred with Laurence Olivier in the play The Entertainer in London. She later appeared in the film version of The Entertainer (1960). In 1961, she won a Tony Award for her role in A Taste of Honey on Broadway.

Because she was married to Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright became very involved with the National Theatre starting in 1963. She also acted in films such as Uncle Vanya (1963), Three Sisters (1970), and Equus (1977).

In the 1990s, she started appearing in more films. These included Avalon (1990) and Enchanted April (1992). For Enchanted April, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. She played Martha Wilson in Dennis the Menace (1993) and the dog nanny in 101 Dalmatians (1996). Other films included Jane Eyre (1996) and Tea With Mussolini (1999).

For her television roles, she won another Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award. This was for her part in the HBO film Stalin in 1992. She was only the second actress to win two Golden Globes in the same year for different roles.

In 2003, Plowright performed in the play Absolutely! (Perhaps) in London. She became the honorary president of the English Stage Company in 2009. Her later films included Bringing Down the House (2003) and Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005). She also voiced characters in the children's films Dinosaur (2000) and Curious George (2006). Her very last film appearance was in the British documentary Nothing Like a Dame (2018). In this film, she appeared with her famous actress friends Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Eileen Atkins.

Personal Life and Family

Plowright with Laurence Olivier, President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan, 1983

Marriages and Children

Joan Plowright first married actor Roger Gage in September 1953. They later divorced. In 1961, she married Laurence Olivier. This happened shortly after Olivier's twenty-year marriage to actress Vivien Leigh ended. Joan and Laurence had three children together. All three of their children have worked in theatre. Joan and Laurence remained married until he passed away in 1989. Joan's younger brother, David Plowright (1930–2006), was a television executive.

She wrote her life story, called And That's Not All, which was published in 2001.

Health and Passing

Joan Plowright's eyesight became worse during the late 2000s and early 2010s. This was due to a condition called macular degeneration. In 2014, she officially announced that she was retiring from acting because she had become legally blind.

Joan Plowright passed away at Denville Hall in Northwood, London, on January 16, 2025. She was 95 years old.

Legacy and Recognition

The Plowright Theatre in Scunthorpe is named in honor of Joan Plowright.

After she passed away, Variety magazine described her as "perhaps the greatest Anglophone actor of the 20th century."

Awards and Honors

Joan Plowright received several important honors. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. She was then promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2004.

In 2001, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree from the University of Hull.

Major Acting Awards

Plowright was nominated for all the main acting awards: an Academy Award (for films), an Emmy Award (for television), and a Tony Award (for theatre). She won the Tony Award in 1961. In 1993, she also became one of only a few actresses to win two Golden Globe Awards in the same year.

See also

In Spanish: Joan Plowright para niños