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Jessica Tandy

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
82

Gender
Female

Birthday
June 7, 1909 (117 years old)

Place of Birth
London, England

Jessica Tandy

Biography

Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy (June 7, 1909 – September 11, 1994) was an English-American stage and film actress.

She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films. Following the end of her marriage to Jack Hawkins, she moved to New York, where she met Canadian actor Hume Cronyn. He became her second husband and frequent partner on stage and screen.

She won the Tony Award for her performance as Blanche Dubois in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948, sharing the prize with Katherine Cornell (who won for Antony and Cleopatra) and Judith Anderson (for the latter's portrayal of Medea). Over the following three decades, her career continued sporadically and included a substantial role in Alfred Hitchcock's film, The Birds (1963), and a Tony Award-winning performance in The Gin Game (playing in the two-character play opposite her husband, Cronyn) in 1977. She, along with Cronyn was a member of the original acting company of The Guthrie Theater.

In the mid 1980s she enjoyed a career revival. She appeared opposite Hume Cronyn in the Broadway production of Foxfire in 1983 and its television adaptation four years later, winning both a Tony Award and an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Annie Nations. During these years, she appeared in films such as Cocoon (1985), also with Cronyn.

She became the oldest actress to receive the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Driving Miss Daisy (1989), for which she also won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). At the height of her success, she was named as one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People". She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1990, and continued working until shortly before her death.

Known For

Acting

2006A Streetcar on Broadwayas Self (archive footage)
2003Jessica Tandy: Theatre Legend to Screen Staras Self (archive footage)
2003Miss Daisy's Journey: From Stage to Screenas Daisy Werthan (archive footage) (uncredited)
1998Moments of Discovery: The Making of Fried Green Tomatoesas Self
1996An African love storyas Self
1994Nobody's Foolas Beryl Peoples
1994Camillaas Camilla Cara
1994100 Years at the Moviesas Self (archive footage)
1993To Dance with the White Dogas Cora Peek
1993Intimate Portraitas Self
1992Used Peopleas Freida
1991Fried Green Tomatoesas Ninny Threadgoode
1991The Story Ladyas Grace McQueen
1990Dream Onas (archive footage)
1990Night of 100 Stars IIIas Self
1989Driving Miss Daisyas Daisy Werthan
1988Cocoon: The Returnas Alma Finley
1988The House on Carroll Streetas Miss Venable
1987*batteries not includedas Faye Riley
1987Foxfireas Annie Nations
1985Cocoonas Alma Finley
1984The Bostoniansas Miss Birdseye
1982Best Friendsas Eleanor McCullen
1982Still of the Nightas Grace Rice
1982The World According to Garpas Mrs. Fields
1982American Playhouseas Fonsia Dorsey
1981Honky Tonk Freewayas Carol
1981The Gin Gameas Fonsia Dorsey
1978The Kennedy Center Honorsas Self
1974Butleyas Edna Shaft
1973Tennessee Williams' Southas
1967Judd, for the Defenseas
1967Judd, for the Defenseas Helen Wister
1965The F.B.I.as Ardyth Nolan
1963The Birdsas Lydia Brenner
1962The Merv Griffin Showas Self
1962Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Manas Mrs. Helen Adams
1959The Moon and Sixpenceas Blanche Stroeve
1958The Christmas Treeas Mrs. Martin
1958The Light in the Forestas Myra Butler
1957Suspicionas
1956Telephone Timeas
1956Tony Awardsas Self (archive footage)
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Award Accepter
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Nominee
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Nominee / Performer
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Presenter
1956Tony Awardsas Self - Winner
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Edwina Freel
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Julia Lester
1955Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Laura Bowlby
1955The Fourposteras
1954Producers' Showcaseas Agnes
1954The Marriageas Liz Marriott
1953General Electric Theateras Laura Whitemore
1952Omnibusas
1952Omnibusas Jackie
1952Omnibusas Louisa Catherine Johnson
1952Omnibusas Self - Reader
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas Annie Nations
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas Mrs. Martin
1951The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommelas Frau Lucie Marie Rommel
1951Goodyear Television Playhouseas Leticia Blacklock
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Bertha Jacks
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Cora Torrence
1950September Affairas Catherine Lawrence
1950Prudential Family Playhouseas
1949Lights Outas
1948Studio Oneas Connaught O'Brien
1948Studio Oneas Mrs. Moore
1948The Philco Television Playhouseas Liz Marriott
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1948A Woman's Vengeanceas Janet Spence
1947Forever Amberas Nan Britton
1946The Green Yearsas Kate Leckie
1946Dragonwyckas Peggy O'Malley
1945The Valley of Decisionas Louise Kane
1944Blonde Feveras Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
1944The Seventh Crossas Liesel Roeder
1944Golden Globe Awardsas Self - Nominee
1938Murder in the Familyas Ann Osborne
1932Indiscretions of Eveas Penelope, the Maid

Production