Person biography:
Jessica Tandy was a renowned British-American actress born Jessie Alice Tandy in London in 1909. She was the daughter of Jessie Helen Horspool, the head of a school for mentally handicapped children, and Harry Tandy, a traveling salesman. Tandy's parents enrolled her at the Ben Greet Academy of Acting, where she showed immediate promise.
Tandy's professional career began at the age of 16, when she made her debut as Sara Manderson in the play "The Manderson Girls". She subsequently joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and made her West End debut in "The Rumour" at the Court Theatre in 1929.
Tandy married British actor Jack Hawkins in 1932 and had one daughter, Susan, before parting ways after eight years of marriage. She then married actor and producer Hume Cronyn in 1942, and the couple had two children, Christopher and Tandy.
Tandy's early career was marked by her strong stage performances, particularly in Shakespearean roles. She gained international recognition for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" on Broadway in 1947.
Tandy's film career began in the 1930s, but it wasn't until the 1980s that she experienced a major comeback. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Miss Daisy in "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989) and received another Oscar nomination for "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991).
Tandy continued to work in film and television until her death from ovarian cancer on September 11, 1994. Her last two films, "Nobody's Fool" (1994) and "Camilla" (1994),were released posthumously. Throughout her career, Tandy earned numerous awards and nominations, including two Tony Awards and an Academy Award.
