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Phyllida Law, a distinguished actress known for her extensive work on stage and screen, has passed away peacefully at the age of 94. She was the mother of acclaimed actresses Dame Emma Thompson and Sophie Thompson. Her manager Jacky Leggo confirmed the news in a statement to BBC News, expressing deep sorrow and highlighting their long professional relationship of over fifty years, describing Law as “a beautiful person inside and out.”
Throughout her career, Law shared the screen with both of her daughters on several occasions. Notably, she appeared in the 1996 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s *Emma*, where she portrayed Mrs. Bates alongside Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates. In addition, she acted with Dame Emma Thompson in the 1992 film *Peter’s Friends*, directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, who was once her son-in-law. They collaborated again in Branagh’s 1993 adaptation of Shakespeare’s *Much Ado About Nothing*, as well as in Alan Rickman’s 1997 film *The Winter Guest*, where they played mother and daughter roles. Later, Law lent her voice to the character Mrs Partridge in the 2005 film *Nanny McPhee*, written and starred in by Dame Emma.
Born in Glasgow in 1932, Law originally enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to study stage design but switched to acting “by happy accident.” She married actor Eric Thompson, famous for *The Magic Roundabout*, in 1957, and the marriage lasted until his death in 1982 from a heart attack at the age of 53. Law’s acting career spanned eight decades and included appearances on TV shows such as *Dickson of Dock Green*, *Rumpole of the Bailey*, *Midsomer Murders*, *Foyle’s War*, *Doc Martin*, and *New Tricks*. Her film credits include roles in *Anna Karenina*, *Saving Grace*, and *Miss Potter*.
In the theatre world, Law performed with notable actors like Alec Guinness in *A Voyage Round My Father* in the West End in 1971 and appeared in Alan Bennett’s *Habeas Corpus* at the Oxford Playhouse in 1973, which later moved to London. She was part of the original London cast of *La Cage Aux Folles* in 1986 and featured in the short film *Love at First Sight* alongside John Hurt, which was shortlisted for an Oscar in 2012. Law was honored with an OBE in 2014 for her contributions to drama and charitable work. Her daughters have both achieved considerable success in their acting careers, with Emma being a two-time Oscar winner and Sophie nominated multiple times for Olivier Awards. Reflecting on her daughters in a 2017 interview, Law remarked, “They are both my colleagues in a way. They didn’t follow in our footsteps, they rushed past us, trampling on us.” The family legacy continues with Emma’s daughter Gaia, who paid tribute to her grandmother on social media. Speaking fondly of her love for theatre, Law once joked about her funeral arrangements: “I’ve got to have my funeral in the afternoon, curtain up 2.30pm, so people can get to the theatre afterwards.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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