UK Acting Icon & Widow Of Laurence Olivier Was 95

Joan Plowright, the acclaimed UK star of stage and screen who was married to Laurence Olivier for 28 years, has died aged 95, her family has said.

A statement from Plowright’s family to press read: “It is with great sadness that the family of Dame Joan Plowright, the Lady Olivier, inform you that she passed away peacefully on 16 January 2025 surrounded by her family at Denville Hall at the glorious age of 95.

“Her brilliant career will be remembered by many, her wonderful being always cherished by her children Richard, Tamsin and Julie-Kate, their families and Joan’s many friends. We are deeply grateful for all those who helped care for her in her last years.”

Plowright was an icon of stage and screen, appearing in the likes of Enchanted April, The Scarlett Letter and the Broadway version of A Taste Of Honey, for which she won a Tony Award.

Born in 1929 in Lincolnshire, she made her stage debut in 1954 and subsequently co-starred with Sir Laurence Olivier in the original London production of John Osborne’s The Entertainer, before appearing in the film version of that production.

She appeared in more plays throughout the 1970s and 80s and moved more to the screen in the 1990s.

In 1992, she appeared in Mike Newell’s Enchanted April as Mrs. Fisher, securing an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for her performance. Other major performances included The Scarlet Letter, 101 Dalmatians and Tea with Mussolini. On TV she appeared in HBO’s Stalin, for which she also won a Golden Globe in the same year as Enchanted April, and the likes of Encore! Encore!.

Plowright was married to Olivier from 1961 to his death in 1989, working closely with the UK icon at the National Theatre, which he set up. She was made a Dame in the 2004 New Year Honour’s list.

She is survived by her three children Richard, Tamsin and Julie-Kate.