Phyllida Law’s Death Marks the End of a Six-Decade Acting Legacy

Born in Glasgow in 1932, Phyllida Law was accepted to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, initially intending to become a stage designer before switching to acting. While at the school she met fellow actor Eric Thompson, whom she married in 1957.

The Guardian

Law broke into television in the late 1950s, appearing in series such as *Dr Finlay’s Casebook*, *Dixon of Dock Green* and *The Troubleshooters*. By the late 1970s she was performing major stage roles, including Alec Guinness in John Mortimer’s *A Voyage Round My Father* (1971) and Alan Bennett’s *Habeas Corpus* (1973). She later joined the National Theatre, appearing in productions of *For Services Rendered* and *When We Are Married* (1979). From the late 1980s onward she gained greater film visibility, acting alongside daughter Emma Thompson in *Peter’s Friends*, *Much Ado About Nothing* and the adaptation of Jane Austen’s *Emma*. She also appeared with Emma in Alan Rickman’s *The Winter Guest* and maintained recurring television roles in series such as *Foyle’s War*, *Doc Martin* and *Kingdom*. Her final screen credit was the 2020 romance *Then Came You*.

The Guardian

Law’s marriage to Eric Thompson lasted until his death from a heart attack in 1982 at age 53. Their daughters, Emma (born 1959) and Sophie (born 1964), have both achieved prominent acting careers. Emma Thompson has won two Academy Awards—one for acting in *Howard’s End* and another for writing the screenplay for *Sense and Sensibility*. Sophie Thompson has been nominated for seven Olivier Awards. In 2014 Law received an OBE for services to drama and charitable work. The acting dynasty continues with Emma’s daughter Gaia, who publicly honored her grandmother on Instagram.

BBC News

The statement confirms that her passing occurred at home and was attended by her relatives.

The Guardian