---
name: "Glenda Jackson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/glenda-jackson"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "9 May 1936"
died: "15 June 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T05:47:23.547477+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Glenda Jackson

Actor. Born 9 May 1936 in Wirral, England, UK. Died 15 June 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 9 May 1936, Wirral, England, UK
- **Died:** 15 June 2023
- **Also known as:** Glenda May Jackson
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 2 nominated)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenda_Jackson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182408, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0413559/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/115573

## Fi1m on Glenda Jackson

> Glenda Jackson played women who had already heard the line and were deciding whether to let the man say it. It made her formidable in drama, and in *A Touch of Class* it made her funnier than the film around her.

The look comes first. In *A Touch of Class* (1973) Vicki Allessio listens to George Segal's Steve with a face that says she has heard the line before and is deciding whether to let him have it anyway, and then she answers in a level voice, as if reading him a bill. Jackson did this in everything. She let you see the thinking before the speaking, and the thinking was usually a step ahead of whoever she was talking to. Critics called it intelligence, and it came with an abrasiveness that did not care whether it was liked.

She came from the stage and did not soften for the camera. Peter Brook's *Marat/Sade* (1967) filmed the Charlotte Corday she had played with the RSC, and Ken Russell's *Women in Love* (1969) gave her Gudrun Brangwen and a physical directness British films were not used to from their leading women. Russell used her five times. John Schlesinger cast her as Alex Greville in *Sunday Bloody Sunday* (1971) despite doubts at the time that she would be too strident for it, and she was not. The same year she played Elizabeth I twice, in the BBC's *Elizabeth R* and in *Mary, Queen of Scots*, and the queen fitted her: a woman who has to be cleverer than every man at court and does not hide it. That decade is the case for her. In 1992 she stopped acting, and did not come back for twenty-three years.

The comedy is where the argument is. Some critics hold that it was never her line and that *A Touch of Class* proves it. We scored the film 66 and think the opposite: the film is the weak thing, not her. Melvin Frank and Jack Rose wrote Vicki the rudest dialogue, and she says it with the practical air she brings to copying other people's frocks, and that is the joke for as long as the script keeps it up. When she loses her temper in the Málaga hotel room, we laughed harder than at anything else in the film, because she does not do comic rage; she does the real thing, full and undignified, on two narrow beds and a hard tiled floor, and the comedy is that Segal has nowhere to stand. The second half goes soft and gives her less to do. That is the film's fault.

The return, from 2015, was mostly on stage, with *King Lear* in 2016 and again in 2019, and on television in *Elizabeth Is Missing*, before her death in 2023. She said in 2019 that the job was "trying to find always the reality of being a human being as opposed to being a character in a play", which is a fair account of what she had been doing since the sixties. Start with *Women in Love* for the force and *A Touch of Class* for the wit. Either way, watch what she does before she speaks.

## Biography

Glenda Jackson was an English actress and politician. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and made her professional stage debut in the late 1950s.

She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for her roles in *Women in Love* (1970) and *A Touch of Class* (1973), in which she played Vicki Allessio. Other notable film roles include *Sunday Bloody Sunday* (1971), *Mary, Queen of Scots* (1971) and *Hopscotch* (1980). She received two Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Elizabeth I in the BBC series *Elizabeth R* (1971) and a further Emmy and BAFTA for *Elizabeth Is Missing* (2019). Jackson was appointed CBE in 1978.

She served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate (later Hampstead and Kilburn) from 1992 to 2015. Jackson later returned to acting, winning a Tony Award for *Three Tall Women* (2018) and receiving an Olivier Award nomination for *King Lear* (2016).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, rada.ac.uk, britannica.com, bbc.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *A Touch of Class* (1973), Fi1m 66, as Vicki Allessio — [page](https://film.one/film/a-touch-of-class.md)

## Complete filmography (60)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders* (2025), as Archive
- *The Great Escaper* (2023), as Irene Jordan
- *Mothering Sunday* (2021), as Jane (Older)
- *Mothers of the Revolution* (2021), as Narrator (voice)
- *Elizabeth Is Missing* (2019), as Maud Palmer Horsham
- *A Wave of Passion: The Life of Alexandra Kollontai* (1994), as Alexandra Kollontai (voice)
- *The Secret Life of Arnold Bax* (1992), as Harriet Cohen
- *The House of Bernarda Alba* (1991), as Bernarda
- *A Murder of Quality* (1991), as Alisa Brimley
- *King of the Wind* (1990), as Queen Caroline
- *The Real Story of Humpty Dumpty* (1990), as Glitch the Witch (voice)
- *The Rainbow* (1989), as Anna Brangwen
- *Doombeach* (1989), as Miss Ricketts
- *Salome's Last Dance* (1988), as Herodias / Lady Alice
- *Strange Interlude* (1988), series, as Nina Leeds
- *Beyond Therapy* (1987), as Charlotte
- *Business as Usual* (1987), as Babs Flynn
- *Turtle Diary* (1985), as Neaera Duncan
- *Sakharov* (1984), as Yelena Bonner
- *The Return of the Soldier* (1983), as Margaret Grey
- *Giro City* (1982), as Sophie
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Nina Leeds
- *The Patricia Neal Story* (1981), as Patricia Neal
- *Hopscotch* (1980), as Isobel
- *HealtH* (1980), as Isabella Garnell
- *Lost and Found* (1979), as Tricia
- *The Class Of Miss MacMichael* (1978), as Conor MacMichael
- *Stevie* (1978), as Stevie Smith
- *House Calls* (1978), as Ann Atkinson
- *Nasty Habits* (1977), as Sister Alexandra
- *The Incredible Sarah* (1976), as Sarah Bernhardt
- *Hedda* (1975), as Hedda
- *The Romantic Englishwoman* (1975), as Elizabeth
- *The Maids* (1975), as Solange
- *The Tempter* (1974), as Sister Geraldine
- *A Touch of Class* (1973), as Vicki Allessio — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/a-touch-of-class.md)
- *Bequest to the Nation* (1973), as Lady Hamilton
- *The Triple Echo* (1972), as Alice Charlesworth
- *Mary, Queen of Scots* (1971), as Queen Elizabeth
- *The Boy Friend* (1971), as Rita Monroe
- *Sunday Bloody Sunday* (1971), as Alex Greville
- *Elizabeth R* (1971), series, as Queen Elizabeth I
- *The Music Lovers* (1971), as Antonina 'Nina' Milyukova
- *Women in Love* (1969), as Gudrun Brangwen
- *ITV Saturday Night Theatre* (1969), series, as Marina Palek
- *Negatives* (1968), as Vivien
- *Let's Murder Vivaldi* (1968), as Julie
- *Tell Me Lies* (1968), as Glenda
- *Which of These Two Ladies Is He Married To?* (1967), as Claire Foley
- *Half Hour Story* (1967), series, as Claire Foley
- *The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade* (1967), as Charlotte Corday
- *Opus* (1967), as Charlotte Corday (Marat/Sade)
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Margaret Schlegel
- *National Geographic Specials* (1965), series, as Narrator
- *Horror of Darkness* (1965), as Cathy
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Cathy, Julie
- *This Sporting Life* (1963), as Singer at Party (uncredited)
- *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, Actor
- *The Extra Day* (1956), as Extra (uncredited)
- *Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Glenda Jackson](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-cc1d24563954.jpg) Glenda Jackson — Studio Publicity, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Glenda_Jackson.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-02042274e2f1.jpg) Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/GlendaJackBFI050722_%2810_of_23%29_%2852196800013%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-6bca1ef1ece6.jpg) Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/GlendaJackBFI050722_%2814_of_23%29_%2852196799868%29.jpg/1280px-GlendaJackBFI050722_%2814_of_23%29_%2852196799868%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-a09d820575a3.jpg) Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/GlendaJackBFI050722_%2817_of_23%29_%2852196799783%29.jpg/1280px-GlendaJackBFI050722_%2817_of_23%29_%2852196799783%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Glenda Jackson](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-bc270c634a2b.jpg) Glenda Jackson — Image via TMDB
- ![Glenda Jackson](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-bde30a52e64c.jpg) Glenda Jackson — Image via TMDB
- ![Glenda Jackson](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-f7d816ee504e.jpg) Glenda Jackson — Image via TMDB
- ![Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-e64b3c489862.jpg) Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/GlendaJackBFI050722_%281_of_23%29_%2852197270855%29.jpg/1280px-GlendaJackBFI050722_%281_of_23%29_%2852197270855%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022](https://film.one/media/person/1244820/gallery-af56e83d3292.jpg) Glenda Jackson In Conversation with John Wilson- BFI Southbank - Tuesday 5th July 2022 — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/GlendaJackBFI050722_%285_of_23%29_%2852197045964%29.jpg/1280px-GlendaJackBFI050722_%285_of_23%29_%2852197045964%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 2 nominated

- 1976: Best Actress (nominated), for *Hedda*
- 1974: Best Actress (won), for *A Touch of Class*
- 1972: Best Actress (nominated), for *Sunday, Bloody Sunday*
- 1971: Best Actress (won), for *Women in Love*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won

- 1972: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Elizabeth R*
- 1972: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (won), for *Elizabeth R*

### Other awards — 1 won, 4 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1988: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1985: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1981: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire 1978: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (won)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1966: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/glenda-jackson