Joan Plowright, British star of stage and screen, dies aged 95

Dame Joan Plowright, Tony and two-time Golden Globe-winning actress and widow of Laurence Olivier, has died. She was 95.

Her family confirmed her death in a statement on Thursday BBC Friday: “It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, Lady Olivier, inform you that she passed away peacefully on 16 January 2025, surrounded by her family at Denville Hall, aged 95. She enjoyed a long and a magnificent career spanning seven decades in theatre, film and television until blindness forced her to retire.”

“She loved her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with lots of laughter and great memories,” the statement continued. “She survived her many challenges with Plowright pig and brave determination to make the best of them and she certainly did. Rest in peace Joan.”

Plowright is one of only four women ever to win two Golden Globes on the same night — both 1993’s awards for best supporting actress, one for the film “Enchanted April” and the other for the TV movie “Stalin.” In addition, she received a Tony Award for “A Taste of Honey” in 1961, as well as nominations for Emmys, BAFTAs (twice) and Oscars.

Fittingly, she also won a Laurence Olivier Award in 1978 for “Filumena.”

Born on 28 October 1929, Lincolnshire, Plowright went on to study at Bristol’s Old Vic theatre. She and fellow actor Olivier married in 1961 after meeting on the set of “The Entertainer” and were married until his death at the age of 82 in 1989. They had three children together. Queen Elizabeth then awarded her a DBE in 2003.

In addition to her award-winning performances, Plowright was known for her work in “Dennis the Menace”, “The Spiderwick Chronicles”, “Equus”, “The Entertainer”, “Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont”, “Encore! Encore!” and “Uncle Vanya”, among many others.

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