Dame Joan Ann Plowright, the Baroness Olivier, is one of the most distinguished actors of her generation, boasting a six-decade-long career on stage and screen. Despite being often remembered as the third wife and widow of Laurence Olivier, widely regarded as the greatest anglophone actor of the 20th Century, she has established herself as a talented performer in her own right.
Born on October 28, 1929, in Brigg, Lincolnshire, Plowright received her training at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She made her professional stage debut at Croydon in 1948 and went on to make her London debut in 1954. Two years later, she joined George Devine's English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre, a move that would significantly impact her career and shape the English theatre landscape.
The Royal Court's 1956 production of John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger" was a groundbreaking moment in English theatrical history, marking the beginning of the "Angry Young Men" era in British cultural life. In 1957, Plowright co-starred with her future husband Olivier in the Royal Court's production of Osborne's "The Entertainer," taking over the role of Jean Rice when the play transferred to a commercial venue in the West End. She reprised the role in Tony Richardson's 1960 film adaptation.
To escape the media attention surrounding Olivier's divorce from Vivien Leigh, Plowright and Olivier moved to New York, where they appeared on Broadway, with Olivier starring in "Becket" (1964) and Plowright in "A Taste of Honey" (1961). For her performance as Josephine, Plowright won a 1961 Tony Award as Best Actress in a Play. She had previously appeared on Broadway in a twin bill of Eugène Ionesco's "The Chairs" and "The Lesson" in January 1958, just before her collaboration with Olivier in "The Entertainer."
Following Olivier's divorce from Leigh, the couple married in March 1961 in New York, with Richard Burton serving as best man. From 1963 onward, Plowright was a member of the National Theatre, which was led by Olivier. She went on to establish a distinguished stage career and gained recognition for her work in films and television, starting in the 1980s.
Throughout her career, Plowright has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to the world of theatre and film. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire, the female equivalent of a knighthood, in the 2004 Queen's New Year Honours.
Plowright's personal life has been marked by her two marriages, first to actor Roger Gage, whom she divorced to marry Olivier in 1961, and then to Olivier, with whom she had three children, Richard Kerr Olivier, Tamsin Olivier, and Julie Kate Olivier.
