Joan Plowright

English actress

Born: October 28, 1929  ·  Died: January 16, 2025

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Joan Plowright
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Who was Joan Plowright?

Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier (née Plowright; 28 October 1929 – 16 January 2025), commonly known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress whose career spanned eight decades. Plowright studied at the Old Vic Theatre School before acting onstage at the Royal National Theatre where she met her husband Laurence Olivier. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. She acted opposite him in the John Osborne play The Entertainer in West End in 1957 and on Broadway in 1958. She made her film debut in an uncredited role in Moby Dick (1956). She was BAFTA-nominated for her roles in The Entertainer (1960) and Equus (1977). Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier, commonly known as Dame Joan Plowright, was an English actress whose career spanned eight decades.

Joan Plowright
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Historical significance

She received several accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She earned the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her A Taste of Honey (1961). She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Filumena (1978). She later won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Enchanted April (1991).

Plowright as Jo (right) with Angela Lansbury as Helen, in the 1961 Broadway production of A Taste of Honey
Plowright as Jo (right) with Angela Lansbury as Helen, in the 1961 Broadway production of A Taste of Honey
Selected movies: Joan Plowright Full IMDb filmography
101 Dalmatians 1996 · View on IMDb Last Action Hero 1993 · View on IMDb The Spiderwick Chronicles 2008 · View on IMDb Moby Dick 1956 · View on IMDb Dennis the Menace 1993 · View on IMDb Tea with Mussolini 1999 · View on IMDb
Selected exact acting credits from Wikidata. Title links open on IMDb; ratings, reviews, images, and descriptions are not imported.
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MLA

“Joan Plowright.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/joan-plowright/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

APA

Joan Plowright. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/joan-plowright/

Chicago

“Joan Plowright.” thisDay. Accessed October 28, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/joan-plowright/.

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