Joan Plowright dies aged 95 as family issues statement after death of actress and wife of Laurence Olivier
Dame Joan Plowright, the acclaimed British actress and widow of Sir Laurence Olivier, has died at the age of 95, her family has announced.
The actress passed away peacefully on January 16 2025, surrounded by her family at Denville Hall.
In a statement, her family said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, the Lady Olivier, inform you that she passed away peacefully on January 16 2025 surrounded by her family at Denville Hall aged 95.”
The statement added that “she enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire.”
Her family noted that she “cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories.”
Plowright’s career began at the Old Vic theatre school in London, making her stage debut in 1948 in Croydon.
She found her artistic home at the English Stage Company at the Royal Court, where she starred in diverse productions including The Country Wife and The Entertainer.
At the National Theatre, she delivered memorable performances as Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Masha in Three Sisters.
Her film career flourished later in life, earning an Oscar nomination for Enchanted April in 1991.
She appeared alongside fellow British acting royalty Maggie Smith and Judi Dench in Tea With Mussolini.
Born in Brigg, Lincolnshire, in 1929, Plowright showed early promise, winning a drama trophy at a local theatre festival aged 15.
Her final public performance came in 2013, when she reprised her role as Saint Joan for the National Theatre’s 50th birthday celebration.
Plowright’s first marriage was to actor Roger Gage, whom she met at the Old Vic theatre company. They divorced in 1960.
In 1961, she married Laurence Olivier following extensive media coverage of their relationship and the end of his marriage to Vivien Leigh.
Her career was cut short by failing eyesight, leading to her retirement in 2014 after being registered as blind.
The family’s statement praised her resilience, saying: “She survived her many challenges with Plowright grit and courageous determination to make the best of them, and that she certainly did.”
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She is survived by her children Tamsin, Julie-Kate, and Richard, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The family has requested privacy during this time.