Glenda Jackson Dead At 87: 5 Things To Know About The Oscar-Winning Actress

Legendary actress Glenda Jackson has died at the age of 87 following a brief illness.

“Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London, this morning [June 15] after a brief illness with her family at her side,” the 87-year-old’s agent, Lionel Larner, said in a statement. Glenda had an illustrious career as both an actress and a politician, and beginning her career on the stage at the age of 21. She studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), leading to success onstage and onscreen. Her first movie role was in 1963, and she went on to earn accolades for her performances in various movies and television shows. Following her death, learn more about Glenda below.

What Movies Was Glenda Jackson In?

Glenda has a long resume of movies under her belt. After beginning her career in the theater, her film debut was in 1963’s The Sporting Life. She was nominated for four Best Actress Academy Awards throughout her career, and won two of them. The first was in 1970 for her role in Women in Love, followed by another in 1973 for A Touch of Class. The other nominations were for Sunday Bloody Sunday in 1971 and Hedda in 1975. Some of her other movie roles include Mary, Queen of Scots, The Maids, Nasty Habits, Stevie, The Triple Echo, Bequest to the Nation, The Romantic Englishwoman, House Calls, Lost and Found, Hopscotch and more.

In addition to movies, Glenda also had some television roles, and was nominated for three Emmy Awards during her career. In 1972, she won both the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award and Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Elizabeth R. She was also nominated in 1982 for The Patricia Neal Story.

Glenda took a major break from acting in the early 90s, but resurfaced in 2019 for a role in the television movie Elizabeth Is Missing. In 2021, she starred in the movie Mothering Sunday, and she filmed The Great Escaper with Michael Caine before her death.

What Plays Was Glenda Jackson In?

Glenda was also an esteemed stage actress. She began her stage career on London’s West End and went on to make her Broadway debut in 1965 when she starred in Marat/Sade. She was nominated for five Tony Awards during her career, and it wasn’t until 2018 when she won one (Best Leading Actress in a Play) for Three Tall Women. Her other nominations came in 1966 (for Marat/Sade), as well as 1981 (Rose), 1985 (Strange Interlude) and 1988 (Macbeth). Glenda’s last Broadway play was King Lear in 2019.

Some of her other stage credits, mostly in London, included The White Devil, Three Sisters, Hamlet, Phedra, Summit Conference, Mother Courage, Mourning Becomes Electra, Great and Small, Anthony and Cleopatra, Stevie and many more.

Did Glenda Jackson Ever Marry & Have Kids?

Glenda started dating fellow member of her theatre company, Roy Hodges, after meeting in 1957. They tied the knot in August 1958 in London and had one son together named Daniel Hodges, who works as a journalist. Glenda and Roy began having marriage troubles in the early 1970s, and divorced in 1976 after Glenda’s affair with Andy Phillips, who Glenda went on to date until 1981. Any of Glenda’s subsequent relationships were not made public, although it was reported that she spent decades “happily single” before her death.

Glenda Jackson’s Political Career

After majorly cutting back on acting in the 1990s, Glenda turned her attention to a career in politics. However, an interest in politics spanned from the time she was a teenager when she joined the Labour Party. When she started focusing on politics full-time, she became a Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn in London. She continued her political career until resigning in 2015. Glenda was extremely outspoken in her political views, even if it meant rebelling against her own party.

Who Were Glenda Jackson’s Parents?

Glenda is the daughter of mother Joan Jackson and father Harry Jackson. Her father was a builder and her mother worked at the local supermarket and as a cleaner. The family grew up poor. Glenda was the oldest child in her family, which included three other sisters.