In Memoriam: Glenda Jackson

Legend of the stage and screen and pillar of Masterpiece Glenda Jackson passed away this week at the age of 87. Jackson’s multifaceted career led her not only to the stage and screen but also to the UK Parliament. Jackson was a rare recipient of acting’s triple crown (multiple Academy and Emmy Awards, plus a Tony) and was appointed CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978.

According to a statement from her agent, Lionel Larner, Jackson “died peacefully at her home in London this morning after a short illness with her family by her side,” He added, “Today we lost one of the world’s greatest actresses, and I have lost a best friend of over 50 years.”

Born in 1936, Jackson grew up in a working-class family and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a scholarship. After a number of small theater roles and odd jobs, Jackson joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1964 and made waves overseas when one of its plays transferred to Broadway in 1967. Having conquered the stage, she turned to the screen. Her first major film was Women in Love (1969), which earned her her first Academy Award.

She formed the cornerstone of Masterpiece when she starred as the titular Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth R (1972), one of the earliest series brought over by the PBS anthology series when it launched in 1971. At 30, she had to portray Elizabeth I from age 15 to 70, in what some historians consider the most accurate portrayal of the historical figure. Jackson won an Emmy for her performance, making Elizabeth R the first British show to win an Emmy.

After her success in film, TV, and theater, Jackson set her sights on a different medium: politics. She had a strong political conviction from a young age, and in 1991 she retired from acting to pursue politics full-time. She gained a seat in Parliament in the 1992 election, serving until 2015. She was a vocal feminist and proponent of human rights causes and also spoke out against Margaret Thatcher and the monarchy. She chose not to run for reelection in 2015 and jumped right back into acting.

She returned to Broadway in productions of Three Tall Women (2018) and King Lear (2019), and in 2019 made her small screen return in the BBC drama Elizabeth is Missing, which headlined Masterpiece’s 50th anniversary season. She received critical acclaim for portraying a grandmother living with dementia who finds herself at the center of a mystery. Her final role is yet to be seen — she will star in the film The Great Escaper, filmed in 2022 and due to be released in October 2023.

There has been an outpouring of tributes to Jackson on social media, from actors and politicians alike. Michael Caine, who starred opposite her in The Romantic Englishwoman (1976) and reunited with her 47 years later in the forthcoming The Great Escaper wrote on Twitter:

“Glenda Jackson was one of my first leading ladies. I am so proud she was my final leading lady. She was truly brilliant in the film we made last year, The Great Escaper.”

Actor Ruth Wilson, who starred with Jackson on Broadway in the 2019 production of King Lear, spoke to Jackson’s power of mentorship and inspiration for younger actors like herself.

“She taught me how to be and how not to be. To the truly towering and uncompromising Glenda Jackson, I will be forever grateful.”

Masterpiece, the series whose success has been so aligned with Jackson’s own, also offered its condolences across its social media:

“Masterpiece is honored to have worked with Glenda Jackson first on Elizabeth R back in 1971, and then 50 years later in our adaptation of Elizabeth is Missing. Her presence on our screens will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this time.”

Jackson touched lives globally through her performance and her politics, and if the tributes from her peers are any proof, she will be well remembered. Elizabeth R is available for streaming on BritBox; Elizabeth Is Missing is currently streaming for members on PBS Passport.