Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British-American actress. Tandy appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, four

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She acted as

Blanche DuBois Blanche DuBois (married name Grey) is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play ''A Streetcar Named Desire''. The character was written for Tallulah Bankhead and made popular to later audiences with Elia Ka ...

in the original Broadway production of ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pers ...

'' in 1948. Her films included Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Birds'' and ''

The Gin Game ''The Gin Game'' is a two-person, two-act play by Donald L. Coburn that premiered at American Theater Arts in Hollywood in September 1976, directed by Kip Niven. It was Coburn's first play, and the theater's first production. The play won the 197 ...

''. At 80, she became the oldest actress to receive the

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...

for her role in ''

Driving Miss Daisy '' Driving Miss Daisy'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Alfred Uhry, based on his 1987 play of the same name. The film stars Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd. Freeman reprised his ro ...

''.

Early life

The youngest of three siblings, Tandy was born in Geldeston Road in Hackney,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to Harry Tandy and his wife, Jessie Helen Horspool. Her mother was from a large fenland family in

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and only 5 miles ...

, Cambridgeshire, and the head of a school for mentally handicapped children, and her father was a travelling salesman for a rope manufacturer. She was educated at

Dame Alice Owen's School Dame Alice Owen's School (also known as Dame Alice Owen's or Owen's; referred to by the acronym DAOS) is an 11–18 mixed, partially selective secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England. It i ...

in Islington. Her father died when she was 12, and her mother subsequently taught evening courses to earn an income. Her brother Edward was later a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

of the Japanese in Asia.

Acting career

Jessica Tandy with Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando

Tandy was 18 years old when she made her professional debut on the London stage in 1927. During the 1930s, she acted in many plays in London's West End, playing

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

(opposite

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Brit ...

's legendary

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

) and

Katherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

(opposite Laurence Olivier's

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

). She entered films in Britain, but after her marriage to

Jack Hawkins John Edward Hawkins, CBE (14 September 1910 – 18 July 1973) was an English actor who worked on stage and in film from the 1930s until the 1970s. One of the most popular British film stars of the 1950s, he was known for his portrayal of mil ...

failed, she moved to the United States hoping to find better roles. During her time as a leading actress on the stage in London, she often had to fight over roles with her two rivals,

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

and Celia Johnson. In the following years, she played supporting roles in several Hollywood films. Like many stage actors, Tandy also worked in radio. Among other programs, she was a regular on ''Mandrake the Magician'' (as Princess Nada), and then with her second husband Hume Cronyn in ''The Marriage'' which ran on radio from 1953 to 1954, and then segued onto television. She made her American film debut in ''

The Seventh Cross ''The Seventh Cross'' (german: Das siebte Kreuz) is a novel by Anna Seghers, one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was first published in Mexico by ''El Libro Libre'' In 1942. The English translation came o ...

'' (1944). She had supporting appearances in ''

The Valley of Decision ''The Valley of Decision'' is a 1945 film directed by Tay Garnett, based on Marcia Davenport's 1942 novel of the same name. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1870s, it stars Greer Garson and Gregory Peck. It tells the story of a young Iri ...

'' (1945), ''

The Green Years ''The Green Years'' is a 1944 novel by A. J. Cronin which traces the formative years of an Irish orphan, Robert Shannon, who is sent to live with his draconian maternal grandparents in Scotland. An introspective child, Robert forms an attachme ...

'' (1946, as Cronyn's daughter), '' Dragonwyck'' (1946) starring

Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, she became established as a leading lady. Tierney was best known for her portrayal of the title character in the ...

and

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

and '' Forever Amber'' (1947). She appeared as the insomniac murderess in ''

A Woman's Vengeance ''A Woman's Vengeance'' is a 1948 American film noir drama mystery film directed by Zoltán Korda and starring Charles Boyer, Ann Blyth, Jessica Tandy, Cedric Hardwicke, Rachel Kempson, and Mildred Natwick. The screenplay by Aldous Huxley was ...

'' (1948), a film noir adapted by

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxle ...

from his short story " The Gioconda Smile". Over the next three decades, her film career continued sporadically while she found better roles on the stage. Her roles during this time included '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951) opposite James Mason, ''

The Light in the Forest ''The Light in the Forest'' is a novel first published in 1953 by U.S. author Conrad Richter. Though it is a work of fiction and primarily features fictional characters, the novel incorporates historic figures and is based in historical fact rel ...

'' (1958), and a role as a domineering mother in Alfred Hitchcock's film, '' The Birds'' (1963). Jessica Tandy The Glass Eye Hitchcock 1957

On Broadway, she won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for her performance as

Blanche Dubois Blanche DuBois (married name Grey) is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play ''A Streetcar Named Desire''. The character was written for Tallulah Bankhead and made popular to later audiences with Elia Ka ...

in the original

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production of ''

'' in 1948. After this (she lost the film role to actress Vivien Leigh), she concentrated on the stage. In 1976, she and Cronyn joined the acting company of the Stratford Festival, and returned in 1980 to debut Cronyn's play

Foxfire Foxfire, also called fairy fire and chimpanzee fire, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish-green glow is attributed to a luciferase, an oxidative enzyme, which emits light as it reacts with ...

. In 1977, she earned her second Tony Award, for her performance (with Cronyn) in ''

'' and her third Tony in 1982 for her performance, again with Cronyn, in

. The beginning of the 1980s saw a resurgence in her film career, with character roles in ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Natio ...

'', '' Best Friends'', '' Still of the Night'' (all 1982) and ''

The Bostonians ''The Bostonians'' is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in '' The Century Magazine'' in 1885–1886 and then as a book in 1886. This bittersweet tragicomedy centres on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political c ...

'' (1984). She and Cronyn were now working together more regularly on stage and television, including the films '' Cocoon'' (1985), '' *batteries not included'' (1987) and '' Cocoon: The Return'' (1988) and the Emmy Award winning television film ''

'' (1987, recreating her Tony winning Broadway role). However, it was her colourful performance in ''

'' (1989), as an aging, stubborn Southern Jewish matron, that earned her an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

. She received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in the grassroots hit '' Fried Green Tomatoes'' (1991) and co-starred in ''The Story Lady'' (1991 TV film, with her daughter Tandy Cronyn), ''Used People'' (1992, as Shirley MacLaine's mother), television film ''

To Dance with the White Dog ''To Dance with the White Dog'' is a 1990 novel by Georgia author Terry Kay, based on the experiences of his father. Plot summary Sam Peek happily resides in Hart County, Georgia, as a pecan farmer and local celebrity featured in many gardening/h ...

'' (1993, with Cronyn), ''Camilla'' (1994, with Cronyn). '' Nobody's Fool'' (1994) proved to be her last performance, at the age of 84.

Other awards

Tandy was chosen by

People magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People'' had the lar ...

as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world in 1990. *1979 – Induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame *1979 – Sarah Siddons Award

Chicago theatre The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban a ...

*1986 –

Drama Desk Special Award The Drama Desk Special Award is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements by an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway ...

*1986 – Kennedy Center Honors Recipient *1990 – National Medal of Arts *1991 – Women in Film

Crystal Award The Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards—first presented in 1977 by the now–Los Angeles chapter of the Women in Film organization—were presented to honor women in communications and media. The awards include the Crystal Award, the Lucy Awar ...

*1994 – Special

for Lifetime Achievement shared with her husband,

Hume Cronyn Hume Blake Cronyn Jr. OC (July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian-American actor and writer. Early life Cronyn, one of five children, was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His father, Hume Blake Cronyn, Sr., was a businessman and ...

Personal life and death

In 1932 Tandy married English actor

and together they had a daughter, Susan Hawkins. Susan became an actress and was the daughter-in-law of John Moynihan Tettemer, a former Passionist monk who authored ''I Was a Monk: The Autobiography of John Tettemer'', and was cast in small roles in ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...

'' and ''

Meet John Doe ''Meet John Doe'' is a 1941 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Frank Capra, written by Robert Riskin, and starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film is about a "grassroots" political campaign created unwittingly by ...

''. Tandy and Hawkins divorced in 1940. She married Canadian actor

in 1942. Prior to moving to

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

, she and Cronyn lived for many years in nearby

Pound Ridge, New York Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census. The town is located toward the eastern end of the county, bordered to the north and east by the town of Lewisboro, by Stamford, C ...

, and they remained together until her death in 1994. They had two children, daughter Tandy Cronyn, an actress who would co-star with her mother in the TV film ''The Story Lady'', and son Christopher Cronyn. Tandy became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1952. In 1990, Jessica Tandy was diagnosed with

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...

, and she also suffered from angina and

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

. Despite her illnesses and age she continued working. On September 11, 1994, she died at home in

Easton, Connecticut Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,605 at the time of the 2020 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck and the Plattsville census-designated place. Part of the Greater Bridg ...

, at the age of 85.

Work

U.S. stage credits

Filmography

*Re-issued on DVD as ''The Christmas Story Lady''

Television

References

External links

* * * *
Movie Magazine International Tribute

��''The New York Times'', 12 September 1994
Katharine Cronyn Harley fonds (R11163)
at Library and Archives Canada. The fonds includes many records related to Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tandy, Jessica 1909 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century British actresses Actresses from London Best Actress Academy Award winners Best Actress BAFTA Award winners Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners David di Donatello winners Deaths from cancer in Connecticut Deaths from ovarian cancer Drama Desk Award winners British emigrants to the United States Kennedy Center honorees Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People educated at Dame Alice Owen's School People from Hackney Central Special Tony Award recipients Tony Award winners United States National Medal of Arts recipients People from Easton, Connecticut