Legendary performer, Glenda Jackson, passes away at 87

Glenda Jackson, a legendary performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, has died at age 87.

Jackson’s agent Lionel Larner said she died Thursday at her home in London after a short illness. He said she had recently completed filming “The Great Escaper,” in which she co-starred with Michael Caine.

Jackson is considered one of Britain’s greatest actresses, winning two Oscars, three Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. She was made a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978.

Jackson took a hiatus from acting to take on a political career from 1992 to 2015 and was elected as the Labour Party MP for Hampstead and Highgate in the 1992 general election. Human rights were also an area of interest, and she joined a demonstration outside the Indonesian Embassy to protest against the detention of political prisoners. She was involved in children's charities as the Toy Libraries Association president and narrated programs for UNICEF.

In 2015, Jackson returned to acting following a 23-year absence, having retired from politics. She returned to the stage at the end of 2016, playing the title role in William Shakespeare's King Lear at the Old Vic Theatre in London.

In 2018, Jackson returned to Broadway in a revival of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, winning the 2018 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Jackson returned to the role of King Lear on Broadway in a production that opened in April 2019.

Jackson is survived by her son, Dan Hodges.