Glenda Jackson, two-time Oscar winner, dead at 87
The ‘Women in Love’ star also had a second career as a British lawmaker
Glenda Jackson, who earned the Triple Crown of acting during her career, has died at age 87.
She died Thursday at her home in London after a short illness, according to her agent, Lionel Larner.
He also said she had recently completed filming “The Great Escaper,” co-starring with 90-year-old Michael Caine, with whom she had previously starred with in 1975’s “The Romantic Englishwoman.”
Caine said it was “as wonderful an experience this time as it was 50 years ago,” when the two last worked together.
“Glenda was one of our greatest movie actresses,” he said. “I shall miss her.”
Glenda Jackson earned two Oscars, two Emmys and a Tony throughout her career, giving her the Triple Crown of acting. (Walter McBride/WireImage)
Jackson was born into a working-class family in Birkhenhead, northwest England, in 1936, and later trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and starred in the cutting-edge drama “Marat/Sade” directed by Peter Brook.
She became one of the top British stars in the 1960s and ’70s with films like “Mary, Queen of Scots,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “The Class of Miss MacMichael.”
“The Romantic Englishwoman” poster with Glenda Jackson, Michael Caine and Helmut Berger. (LMPC via Getty Images)
Jackson picked up two Oscars during her career, both in the best actress category for her work in “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class.” She also earned nominations for “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Hedda.”
The star also had memorable roles on television, including her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in “Elizabeth R,” for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Glenda Jackson with her Oscar for best actress for her role in the film “Women in Love” in May 1971. (Mike Lawn/Fox Photos//Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
When Jackson was in her 50s, she embarked on a career in British politics, winning election to Parliament in 1992. She spent 23 years as a Labour Party lawmaker, serving as a minister for transport in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s first government in 1997.
Jackson left Parliament in 2015 and returned to acting, where she continued to find critical acclaim.
In 2018, she won a Tony for best leading actress in a play for “Three Tall Women,” completing the Triple Crown of acting — an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony.
Glenda Jackson, winner of the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play for “Three Tall Women,” poses in the 72nd Annual Tony Awards Press Room in 2018. (Walter McBride/WireImage)
She also earned a BAFTA award for her work in 2020’s “Elizabeth is Missing” as a woman with Alzheimer’s trying to solve a mystery.