Joan Plowright

Joan Ann Plowright, Baroness Olivier DBE (born 28 October 1929), professionally known as Dame Joan Plowright, is a distinguished British actress whose impressive career spanned over six decades. Born in Brigg, Lincolnshire, Plowright established herself as a staple of British and global theatre, earning manifold accolades including two Golden Globe Awards, a Tony Award, and further nominations from the likes of the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and Emmy Awards. Exceptionally, Plowright was the second of only four actresses to have won two Golden Globes in the same year and secured the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a New Play in 1978 for her performance in 'Filumena'.

Plowright's career began with her stage debut in Croydon in 1948, later making her London debut by 1954. Through her marriage to Laurence Olivier, Plowright significantly contributed to Olivier's work at the National Theatre from 1963 onwards. Among her most memorable roles, she earned critical acclaim for films such as 'Enchanted April', 'Dennis the Menace', 'The Scarlet Letter', '101 Dalmatians', and 'Tea With Mussolini'. Plowright's performance in 'Stalin', an HBO film, brought her another Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination. Plowright officially retired from acting in 2014 due to her declining vision caused by macular degeneration.