A beloved actress, who starred in interval dramas equivalent to The Crown, Downton Abbey and Girl Jane, has died on the age of 81.
Downton Abbey star Jane Lapotaire has died on the age of 81 (Picture: Corbis by way of Getty Pictures)
Interval drama star Jane Lapotaire has sadly died on the age of 81. Described as a “really good actress”, the TV favorite starred in varied interval dramas, together with The Crown, Downton Abbey and Girl Jane, to call a number of. The Tony award-winning star’s demise was confirmed by the Royal Shakespeare Firm (RSC), who mentioned they have been “saddened” to listen to of her passing. The actress, who boasted a powerful 60 years on each stage and display screen, died on March 5, however her demise was solely introduced every week later.
She had an in depth energetic profession, which started in 1965 along with her debut present as Ruby Birtle within the manufacturing of When We Are Married on the Bristol Outdated Vic. She went on to turn into one of many founding members of The Younger Vic Theatre in 1970 and joined the RSC in 1974.
Responding to the information of her demise, the corporate wrote: “We’re saddened to listen to of the demise of Jane Lapotaire. A really good actress, her RSC credit embrace Piaf, successful her Tony & Olivier awards, & Gertrude reverse Kenneth Branagh in Adrian Noble’s Hamlet.”
After the tragic information hit the headlines, followers of her work flocked to social media to share their heartache at her passing. One person penned: “Oh that may be very unhappy information”, as one other remembered her within the function, saying: “I bear in mind her taking part in Marie Curie. My condolences to her household and mates.”
One other added: “Her Tony-winning Piaf was uncooked, susceptible, devastating. What a exceptional artist we have misplaced.” A 3rd chimed in with: “She was a rare expertise and have at all times admired her versatility in each function she took on.” In the meantime, a fourth penned: “She was magnificent as Alice of Battenberg in The Crown.”
Arguably, it was her efficiency as Marie Curie within the 1977 TV present that first made her a family title. She grew to become a critically acclaimed actress after she portrayed Edith Piaf in a play about her life, which then travelled throughout the pond to Broadway in 1980.
She went on to win the Tony Award for Finest Actress in a Play for this function later that very same yr. It did not take lengthy earlier than she ventured into movie and TV, which was equally as spectacular as her stage roles.
She was awarded a CBE final yr and made her remaining public look to gather it final month (Picture: POOL/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
She starred in a number of large tasks, together with Girl Jane in 1980, the place she performed Queen Mary, Downton Abbey, the place she took on the function of Violet Crawley’s former romantic rival Princess Kuragin, and The Crown, the place she performed Princess Alice of Battenberg.
All through her profession, the actress famously portrayed opera singer Maria Callas in 1999. However in early 2000, she took a break from appearing to show a Shakespeare class in Paris. Sadly, her educating enterprise was lower quick when she collapsed following a cerebral haemorrhage.
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The star was pressured to bear two main operations and spent almost 4 weeks in intensive care. Her expertise later pushed her to jot down her bestselling memoir, Time Out of Thoughts. Final yr, Jane was awarded a CBE and made one remaining public look in February 2026 at Windsor Fort to gather it.
She is survived by her son, Rowan Joffe, who works as a screenwriter and director. She shared his along with her ex-husband, Roland Joffe.
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