Dame Joan Plowright, 'Dennis the Menace' and '101 Dalmatians' star, dies at 95

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Legendary actress Dame Joan Plowright died peacefully while surrounded by her family on January 16, 2025, at 95.

According to People, Plowright was among the most distinguished acting stars to hail from the United Kingdom. She was one of only four actresses to win two Golden Globes in one night. In 2004, Plowright was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Plowright was also notably married to fellow acting legend, Lord Laurence Oliver from 1961 to his death in 1989.

Dame Joan Plowright dies at 95

The announcement of Dame Joan Plowright's demise was shared by her family, which noted, "She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theater, film, and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire."

Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1929, Plowright started appearing in dramas as a teenager. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School on scholarship and went on to appear on the London stage and at the Royal Court.

The actress married Roger Gage in 1953. She met Olivier four years later while starring with him in the original production of 'The Entertainer.' Despite the age gap of 22 years, the pair fell in love. Plowright later shared in an interview that she was "touched by the bleakness in his face when he wasn't acting or flirting."

Gage filed for divorce from Plowright in 1960 and named Olivier in the suit. The latter separated from his then-wife, actress Vivien Leigh, in the same year. Plowright and Olivier married in 1961 and went on to share three children- Richard, Tamsin, and Julie-Kate.

'The Entertainer' marked the on-screen debut of Plowright, but she chose to focus on theatre for the following three decades. She frequently starred in Olivier's National Theatre in productions such as 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Three Sisters', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'The Merchant of Venice', 'The Taming of the Shrew', 'The Seagull', and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'

Plowright won a Tony Award in 1961 and an Olivier Award (named after her husband) in 1978 for her work on stage. In an interview with the New York Times, she once stated, "I do not have to do anything I don’t want to do. Some years ago, I was asked to sign a seven-year movie contract. I did not want it, because it could have kept me off the stage.”

Dame Joan Plowright's on-screen career

Dame Joan Plowright focused on her film career in the 1990s. She was nominated for the Academy Awards for starring in 'Enchanted April' in 1991 and won the Golden Globes for best supporting actress for the same. During the same ceremony, she won her second Golden Globe for her role in HBO’s 1992 biopic 'Stalin', which also earned her an Emmy nomination.

Other memorable films that Plowright starred in the decade include 'Dennis the Menace', 'The Scarlet Letter', '101 Dalmatians' and 'Tea with Mussolini'. Her work in the 2000s included films such as 'Dinosaur', 'Bringing Down the House' and 'The Spiderwick Chronicles'.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1996, the actress said of her work in children's films, "When you get such interesting and amusing film roles, it doesn’t seem dreadfully exciting to be in the 257th revival of (the 19th-century play) The Rivals. And it’s fun setting off all over the world — and being extremely well-paid.”

Plowright released a memoir titled 'And That's Not All' in 1991. She suffered from macular degeneration beginning in the 2000s and retired in 2014 after being declared legally blind.

Friends and family of Dame Joan Plowright

Reflecting on her marriage to Olivier, Dame Joan Plowright once stated in a documentary, "It was momentous, earth-shattering for me, a very, very strange experience. It was a great privilege to share in his life, as well as a bit of a nightmare.”

The said documentary, titled 'Tea with the Dames', starred her and her close friends and fellow Dames Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Eileen Atkins, discussing their lives and careers.

In the statement upon her death, her family shared, "She cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories."

"We are so proud of all Joan did and who she was as a loving and deeply inclusive human being. She survived her many challenges with Plowright grit and courageous determination to make the best of them, and that she certainly did," they added. “Rest in peace, Joan.”

Internet pays tribute to Dame Joan Plowright

While Dame Joan Plowright had many acclamations under her belt, netizens fondly remembered her for her portrayal of the iconic comic strip character of Mrs Wilson in 'Dennis the Menace'. The following tributes for her on Facebook demonstrate the same.

"Always remembered her reading the winkin blinkin and nod poem in Dennis the menace. RIP," wrote a person.

"A wonderful actress. May Joan rest in peace.. so soon after her dear friend Dame Maggie," shared another.

"All of us 90s kids remember her from Dennis the menace she was so sweet in that movie! You can just tell she was sweet in real life too! RIP," expressed a third.

"She was the greatest gal on the block. -Dennis the Menance🥺may she rip," echoed a fourth.

"Her performances in films are memorable! Loved her especially in Enchanted April! God love you, Dame Joan & thank you for your incredible legacy!" noted a fifth.

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