Joan Ann Plowright was born on 29 October 1929 in Brigg, Lincolnshire. Her mother, Daisy, was a keen amateur actor and by the age of three, her daughter had taken to the stage. She went to Scunthorpe Grammar School before studying drama at the Bristol Old Vic. Her mother encouraged her choice of career, albeit with brutal candour.

Part of an astonishing generation of British actors, including Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins and Maggie Smith, Plowright won a Tony Award, two Golden Globes and nominations for an Oscar and an Emmy.

Actor Dame Joan Plowright, one of Britain's most celebrated stage and screen stars, passed away at the age of 95 at Denville Hall on January 16, as per her family.