Glenda Jackson
A fiercely intelligent actress who traded the glamour of two Oscars for the gritty benches of Parliament, serving her constituents with the same intensity she brought to the stage.
1936–2023 (age 87)·English actress and politician·Birthday: May 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Glenda Jackson's life unfolded in two commanding acts. The first was as an actress of searing intellect and uncompromising power. A product of the Royal Shakespeare Company, she brought a raw, almost frightening authenticity to every role, winning her first Oscar as a headstrong artist in 'Women in Love' and her second as a romantic loner in 'A Touch of Class.' She dominated television as Queen Elizabeth I and radiated a formidable, unsentimental energy. Then, in 1992, she walked away. Driven by strong political convictions and disillusionment with Thatcher's Britain, she won a seat in the House of Commons as a Labour MP. For 23 years, she was a tenacious, sharp-tongued representative for her London constituency, respected for her work ethic and feared in debate. In a stunning final act, she returned to the stage in her 80s, winning a Tony for a blistering performance in 'Three Tall Women,' proving her transformative power remained utterly undimmed.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Glenda was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Glenda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Glenda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2023Died at 87
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for 'Women in Love' (1970) and 'A Touch of Class' (1973).
- Served as the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate (later Hampstead and Kilburn) from 1992 to 2015.
- Won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2018 for her role in Edward Albee's 'Three Tall Women'.
- Portrayed Queen Elizabeth I in the acclaimed BBC television series 'Elizabeth R,' winning two Emmy Awards for the role.
- Achieved the 'Triple Crown of Acting,' having won competitive Academy, Emmy, and Tony Awards.
Did You Know?
She is one of the very few people to win both an Oscar and be elected to a national parliament.
Jackson famously gave a scathing, impassioned speech in Parliament following the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
She turned down a DBE (Damehood) in 1990, prior to entering politics.
Her first professional stage role was in 1957 as a lady-in-waiting in a production of 'Separate Tables.'
After leaving politics, she returned to Shakespeare, playing King Lear in a 2016 production.
“I suppose I'm a working-class socialist, and I don't see why I should pretend to be anything else.”
