'Dennis the Menace' actor Joan Plowright dies at 95
What's the story
Renowned British actor Dame Joan Plowright, who starred in films like 101 Dalmatians, Dennis the Menace, The Entertainer, and Spiderwick, has passed away. She was 95.
Her family announced her peaceful passing on Thursday (January 16), surrounded by loved ones at her retirement home.
"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," read a statement from her family.
Career highlights
Plowright's illustrious career and personal life
Born in 1929, Plowright started her stage career in 1954.
She was married twice, first to actor Roger Leonard Gage (1953-1960). Her second marriage was to actor-director Sir Laurence Olivier in 1961, with whom she had three children: Richard, Tamsin, and Julie. All three followed in their parents' footsteps into acting.
Plowright-Olivier's marriage lasted till his death in 1989 at 82.
Plowright's career spanned over seven decades across theater, film, and TV until blindness forced her into retirement in 2014.
Accolades and comeback
Plowright's accolades and brief return to screen
Plowright was one of Britain's most acclaimed actors, having earned an Oscar nomination for Enchanted April and a Tony Award for A Taste of Honey.
Although she retired due to blindness in 2014, she made a brief return to the screen in 2018 with the documentary Tea with the Dames, alongside Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, and Dame Eileen Atkins.
Notably, Smith passed away a few months back.
Family tribute
Plowright's family expressed pride and gratitude
The family said they were proud of Plowright's achievements and her strength in overcoming obstacles.
"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 said.
They also thanked Jean Wilson and others who took care of her personally over the years.