Downton Abbey star Jane Lapotaire has died aged 81.
The veteran British actress died on March 5, with her death being announced this week via a statement by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“We are saddened to hear of the death of RSC Honorary Associate Artist, Jane Lapotaire,” the statement read.
“A truly brilliant actress, Jane joined the RSC in 1974 to play Viola in Twelfth Night. A few years later, she took the title role in Pam Gems’ Piaf, winning Olivier and TONY Best Actress awards.”
“In 1992, she played Gertrude opposite Kenneth Branagh in Adrian Noble’s Hamlet. Her final two performances for the Company were in 2013 as the Duchess of Gloucester in Greg Doran’s Richard II alongside David Tennant, and, in 2015, as Queen Isobel in Henry V, again directed by Greg.
“Our thoughts are with Jane’s family and friends.”
Jane began her career on the stage when she landed the role of Ruby Birtle in a production of When We Are Married at the Bristol Old Vic in 1965.
“I knew then that I wanted to act,” she later said, according to The Sun. “I wanted it more than walking or breathing.”
The British actress first rose to fame for her portrayal of the scientist in the BBC miniseries Marie Curie in 1977.
In 2000, she had to put her career on hold for a while after she suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and underwent surgery. She later wrote a memoir about the experience titled Time Out Of Mind.
Most recently, she had starred as Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother of Prince Philip, in season three of The Crown, and Princess Irina Kuragin in the fifth season of Downton Abbey.
Jane isn’t the first cast member the Downton Abbey family has lost in recent years.
Dame Maggie Smith, who played matriarch Violet Crawley in the series, passed away in September 2024 at the age of 89.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27 September,” her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens announced in a statement at the time.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days. We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
