Dame Joan Plowright dies aged 95 as tributes pour for award-winning actress

British acting legend Dame Joan Plowright has died aged 95.

The actress, who enjoyed a glittering 60 year career on stage and screen, was known for her roles in Nothing Like A Dame, Dennis the Menace, The Spiderwick Chronicles and 101 Dalmatians.

She won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, an Emmy and two BAFTA Awards. Joan was the second out of only four actresses ever to have won two Golden Globes in one year.

The beloved actress was also married to Sir Laurence Olivier. Laurence and Joan married back in 1961 after she starred alongside him in The Entertainer, playing his daughter, and she later went on to become a member of the National Theatre.

Joan's family issued a statement announcing the actress' passing. They wrote: ""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 2025 surrounded by her family at Denville Hall aged 95."

"She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire. She cherished her last 10 years in Sussex with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories."

Her loved ones praised the actress for "surviving many challenges with Plowright grit and courageous determination to make the best of them". The family signed off with: "Rest in peace, Joan."

Plowright first rose to fame in London's West End during the 1950s. Back in 2014, Joan was sadly forced to retire from acting after she lost her eyesight and was registered blind.

In recent years, Joan took part in the BBC documentary Nothing Like A Dame alongside Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Eileen Atkins. Clips from the documentary showing the dames lightheartedly bickering among themselves and reminiscing on their acting days went viral online.

One heartwarming clip showed Joan missing out on a joke due to her hearing aid, as Maggie offered her a spare one. Harry Potter legend Maggie Smith sadly died in September 2024.