Jessie Alice Tandy (7 June 1909 – 11 September 1994) was a British actress. An icon in the film industry, she appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV, receiving an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
, four
Tony Awards
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...
, a
BAFTA Award
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
, a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, and a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
. She won a Tony Award for
Best Actress in a Play for playing
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 Kaza ...
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 pe ...
'' in 1948, also winning for ''
The Gin Game'' and ''
Foxfire''. Her films included ''
The Birds'', ''
Cocoon'', ''
Fried Green Tomatoes
''Fried Green Tomatoes'' is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel '' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe''. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, J ...
'', and
''Nobody's Fool''. At 80, she became the oldest actress to win 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 has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a lead ...
for her role in ''
Driving Miss Daisy''.
Early life
The youngest of three siblings, Tandy was born in Geldeston Road in
Hackney, London, 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, 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 ...
, Cambridgeshire, and the head of a school for disabled children, and her father was a travelling salesman for a rope manufacturer. She was educated at
Dame Alice Owen's School in
Islington
Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
.
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 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 war for a ...
of the Japanese in Asia.
Career

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. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...
(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 Britis ...
's legendary
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
) and
Katherine
Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...
(opposite
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...
's
Henry V).
She entered films in Britain, but after her marriage to
Jack Hawkins 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 and
Celia Johnson
Dame Celia Elizabeth Johnson (18 December 1908 – 26 April 1982) was an English actress, whose career included stage, television and film. She is especially known for her roles in the films ''In Which We Serve'' (1942), ''This Happy Breed ...
. 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 Narda), 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'' (1944; appearing alongside Cronyn). She had supporting appearances in ''
The Valley of Decision'' (1945), ''
The Green Years'' (1946, as Cronyn's daughter), ''
Dragonwyck'' (1946) starring
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920November 6, 1991) was an American stage and film actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, Tierney was a prominent Leading actor, leading lady during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. Sh ...
and
Vincent Price and ''
Forever Amber'' (1947). She appeared as the insomniac murderess in ''
A Woman's Vengeance'' (1948), a
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
adapted by
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction novel, non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems.
Born into the ...
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'' (1958), and a role as a domineering mother in
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
's film ''
The Birds'' (1963).

On Broadway, she won a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a 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 Kaza ...
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 pe ...
'' 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
The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
, and returned in 1980 to debut Cronyn's play
''Foxfire''. In 1977, she earned her second Tony Award, for her performance (with Cronyn) in ''
The Gin Game.'' The following year the production transferred to London's
Lyric Theatre, where Tandy was nominated for the
Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a New Play. Her third Tony came in 1982 for her performance, again with Cronyn, in ''Foxfire''.
The beginning of the 1980s saw a resurgence in her film career, with character roles in ''
The World According to Garp'' (with Cronyn), ''
Best Friends'', ''
Still of the Night'' (all 1982) and ''
The Bostonians'' (1984). She and Cronyn were now working together more regularly on stage and television, including the films ''
Honky Tonk Freeway'' (1981), ''
Cocoon'' (1985), ''
*batteries not included'' (1987), ''
Cocoon: The Return'' (1988), and the
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
winning television film ''
Foxfire'' (1987, recreating her Tony winning Broadway role).
However, it was her colourful performance in ''
Driving Miss Daisy'' (1989), as an aging, stubborn
Southern Jewish matron, that earned her an
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
.
She received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her work in the grassroots hit ''
Fried Green Tomatoes
''Fried Green Tomatoes'' is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel '' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe''. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, J ...
'' (1991) and co-starred in ''The Story Lady'' (1991 TV film, with her daughter Tandy Cronyn), ''
Used People
''Used People'' is a 1992 romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron. The film stars Shirley MacLaine, Marcello Mastroianni, Bob Dishy, Kathy Bates, Marcia Gay Harden, Jessica Tandy, Doris Roberts and Joe Pantoliano. The screenplay by Todd Gr ...
'' (1992, as
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...
's mother), television film ''
To Dance with the White Dog'' (1993, with Cronyn), and
''Camilla'' (1994, with Cronyn). ''
Nobody's Fool'' (1994) proved to be her last performance, at the age of 84.
Personal life and death
In 1932, Tandy married English actor
Jack Hawkins 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'' and ''
Meet John Doe''.
Tandy and Hawkins divorced in 1940. She married Canadian actor
Hume Cronyn in 1942.
[ Prior to moving to ]Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, she and Cronyn lived for many years in nearby Pound Ridge, New York, and they remained together until her death in 1994. They had two children, daughter Tandy Cronyn, an actress who co-starred with her mother in the TV film ''The Story Lady'', and son Christopher Cronyn. Tandy became a naturalised citizen of the US in 1952.
In 1990, Tandy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she also suffered from angina
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of parti ...
and glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...
. Despite her illnesses and advancing age she continued working. On September 11, 1994, she died at home in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 85.
Work
US stage credits
Film
Television
†Re-issued on DVD as ''The Christmas Story Lady''
Other awards
Tandy was chosen by ''People'' magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world in 1990.
*1979 – Induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame"Notes for Jessica Tandy"
''Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...
''. Accessed 11 July 2016.
*1979 –
Sarah Siddons Award Chicago theatre
The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark Theater (structure), theater located on North State Street (Chicago), State Street in the Loop, Chicago, Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 19 ...
*1986 –
Drama Desk Special Award
*1986 –
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
Recipient
*1990 –
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
*1991 –
Women in Film Crystal Award
*1994 –
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement shared with her husband,
Hume Cronyn
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Movie Magazine International Tribute��''The New York Times'', 12 September 1994
Katharine Cronyn Harley fonds (R11163)at
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...
. 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 in the United States
Drama Desk Award winners
English emigrants to the United States
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
Actors educated at Dame Alice Owen's School
Special Tony Award recipients
Tony Award winners
United States National Medal of Arts recipients
People from Easton, Connecticut
Kennedy Center honorees
English expatriate actresses in the United States
Actors from the London Borough of Hackney
People from Stoke Newington
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players