Joan Plowright Biography

Joan Plowright made her stage debut in 1948. In 1956, she became a member of English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. There she appeared in the plays ‘The Country Wife’ and ‘The Chairs’. Four years later, she played Jean Rice in the drama film ‘The Entertainer’ and earned a BAFTA award nomination for her performance. The actress was next featured in the Broadway production of ‘A Taste of Honey’ for which she received a Tony Award. In the year 1977, she played Dora Strang in the drama film ‘Equus’, a story about a psychiatrist treating a teenage boy who blinds six horses in a stable. The following year, Plowright appeared in the UK Videotaped TV dramas ‘Daphne Laureola’ and ‘Saturday, Sunday, Monday.’

In 1985, she was cast in the historical drama movie ‘Revolution’. A year later, she had a role in the UK videotaped TV drama ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. In 1990, the actress played Eva Krichinsky in ‘Avalon’, the third film in Levinson's tetralogy of "Baltimore films". Two years later, she featured as Olga in HBO’s television movie ‘Stalin,’ which starred Robert Duvall as the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Plowright’s performance in the movie earned her a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress along with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Also in 1992, she played Mrs. Fisher in the flick ‘Enchanted April’ alongside Miranda Richardson, Polly Walker and Josie Lawrence.

Joan did the television films ‘The Return of the Native’, ‘A Place for Annie’ and ‘On Promised Land’ in the ensuing years. In 1996, she played Nanny in the adventure film ‘101 Dalmatians’. In 1998 and 1999, she featured as Marie Pinoni in the drama series ‘Encore! Encore!' and as Bea Johnson in the romance film ‘Dance with Me’. Plowright performed in the play ‘Absolutely! (Perhaps)’ in London in 2003. She played the titular role in the 2005 drama film ‘Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont’. In March 2009, she was chosen as the honorary president of English Stage Company. In 2018, the actress appeared as herself in the documentary ‘Nothing Like a Dame’.

Joan Plowright was born on 28 October 1929 in Brigg, Lincolnshire, to Ernest Plowright, a journalist, and Daisy Margaret. She had a brother named David who was an executive at the Granada Television. She studied at Scunthorpe Grammar School and later attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Plowright married actor Roger Gage in 1953. After divorcing him in 1960, she married actor Laurence Olivier in 1961. Olivier had just ended his 20-year marriage with actress Vivien Leigh at that time. Plowright and Oliver raised three kids: son Richard Kerr and daughters Tamsin Agnes Margaret and Julie-Kate, both of whom are actresses. They remained married until Olivier's death in 1989.

During the late 2000s and early 2010s, Joan Plowright  vision declined steadily due to macular degeneration.

She died on 16 January 2025, in London, at the age of 95.

Joan Plowright once accidentally set fire to her hair while filming a scene in a play, but she handled the situation with grace and humor.

She was known for her love of gardening and often spent her free time tending to her beautiful garden.

Joan Plowright had a great sense of humor and loved pulling pranks on her co-stars and friends, keeping the atmosphere light and fun on set.

Despite her distinguished career on stage and screen, Joan Plowright was a down-to-earth person who enjoyed simple pleasures like spending time with her family and pets.

In addition to her acting talents, Joan Plowright was also a talented painter and had exhibited her artwork in galleries around the world.