Glenda Jackson (1936)

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Ms Glenda Jackson (Female)

Nationality: British

Born: 9 May 1936

Actor and politician. Following her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), Jackson achieved critical acclaim early in her expansive acting career. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1963 where she appeared in some of their most challenging, experimental and controversial work including Peter Brook and Charles Marowitz's Theatre of Cruelty season (1964), Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade (1964) and Brook's indictment of the Vietnam War, US (1966). While there she also appeared in numerous Shakespeare productions, notably as Ophelia in David Warner's production of Hamlet (1965). She would later return to the RSC to play the title role in Hedda Gabler (1975, directed by Trevor Nunn) and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1978-79, directed by Peter Brook). Throughout her career she also appeared in numerous productions across the UK and in New York, often appearing in leading roles that featured strong, unconventional characters. Her work on television ranged from the popular comedic television show Morecambe and Wise to Elizabeth R (1971) for which she won two Emmy Awards for Best Actress in a Drama Series and Best Actress in a Movie/TV Special. Her performance in Ken Russell's 1969 film Women in Love earned her the first of two Academy Awards for Best Actress, the second of which was awarded for her performance in Melvin Frank's A Touch of Class (1972).

At the start of the 1990s, Jackson left acting to pursue a career in politics, a decision prompted by her vehement opposition to the policies of Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She was elected to parliament in 1992 as a Labour MP where she served for 25 years. Following her retirement from politics in 2015, Jackson returned to the stage to play the title role in King Lear at the Old Vic (directed by Deborah Warner) in 2016, for which she won the Best Actress prize at the London Evening Standard theatre awards in 2017. In 2018, Jackson achieved the 'Triple Crown of Acting' (an American industry term for those who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories) when she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in Edward Albee's Three Tall Women on Broadway.

Training and Education

Drama school

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)   (Training & Education | Est. 1904)

62-64 Gower St, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 6ED, England

Other Names

No other Name have been added to this person record yet.

Productions

No productions have been added to this person record yet.

Appears In

The Birthday Party (Aldwych) (1964)

Lulu (Age: twenties, Female)

Performer

Turtle Diary (1985)

Neaera Duncan (Age: Not Specified, Female)

Performer

Linked People

No Linked People have been added to this person record yet.

Linked Awards

Academy Award

1971

Won: Best Actress

National Board of Review Award

1971

Won: Best Actress

New York Film Critics' Circle Award

1971

Won: Best Actress

Primetime Emmy Award

1972

Won: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Primetime Emmy Award

1972

Won: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series

Academy Award

1974

Won: Best Actress

Evening Standard Award

2017

Won: Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress

Tony Award

2018

Won: Best Actress in a Play

Resources

No resources have been added to this person record yet.

Sources

Simon Trowbridge's The Company

Simon Trowbridge, The Company: a Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Editions Albert Creed, 2013)

Biography

This source provides a comprehensive index and brief biographies for key actors, directors, designers and writers who have worked regularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Glenda Jackson's entry can be found on pp. 242-243. An entry for Harold Pinter can be found on pp. 375-377.