Glenda Jackson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Glenda Jackson
CBE MP
Glenda Jackson.JPG
Glenda Jackson in 1971
Member of Parliament
for Hampstead and Kilburn
Hampstead and Highgate (1992–2010)
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 April 1992
Preceded by Geoffrey Finsberg
Majority 42 (0.1%)
Personal details
Born (1936-05-09) 9 May 1936 (age 77)
Birkenhead, Wirral, Cheshire, England, UK
Nationality British
Political party Labour
Spouse(s) Roy Hodges (1958–1976)
Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation Actress (1957–1994)
Politician (1992–present)

Glenda May Jackson, CBE (born 9 May 1936) is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate. After constituency changes for the 2010 general election, her majority of 42 votes was one of the closest results of the entire election.[1]

As an actress, she won two Academy Awards for Best Actress: for Women in Love (1970) and A Touch of Class (1973).

Contents

Early life and education [edit]

Jackson was born in Birkenhead on the Wirral, Merseyside where her father was a bricklayer.[2] Jackson was educated at the West Kirby County Grammar School for Girls, then worked for two years in a Boots chemist shop, before studying at RADA in Bloomsbury.[2]

Career in acting [edit]

Having studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Jackson made her professional stage debut in Terence Rattigan's Separate Tables in 1957, and her film debut in This Sporting Life in 1963. Subsequently a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for four years, she worked for director Peter Brook in several productions, including of Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade as Charlotte Corday. Jackson also appeared in the film version.

Fame came with Jackson's starring role in the controversial Women in Love (1969) for which she won her first Academy Award for Best Actress, and another controversial role as Tchaikovsky's nymphomaniac wife in Ken Russell's The Music Lovers added to her image of being prepared to do almost anything for her art. She confirmed this by having her head shaved in order to play Queen Elizabeth I in the BBC's 1971 blockbuster serial, Elizabeth R. The series was later shown on PBS in the US and Jackson received two Emmy Awards for her work. She also portrayed Queen Elizabeth in the film Mary, Queen of Scots. She appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Show in 1971, playing Cleopatra in a comedy sketch. This led to many other appearances on the show, including the Christmas Shows of 1971 and 1972. In 1971 British exhibitors voted her the 6th most popular star at the British box office.[3]

Filmmaker Melvin Frank saw her comedic potential and offered her the lead female role in his next project. She earned a second Academy Award for Best Actress for A Touch of Class (1973). Morecambe and Wise apparently sent her a telegram saying: 'Stick with us kid, and we'll get you a third!'.[citation needed] By then, she was recognised as one of Britain's leading actresses. In 1978, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She was one of the most fondly remembered later guest stars on The Muppet Show because she told the producers that she would perform any material they liked; this turned out to be a role where she has a delusion that she is a pirate captain who hijacks the Muppet Theatre as her ship. In 1989, she appeared in Ken Russell's The Rainbow, playing Anna Brangwen, mother of Gudrun, the part which had won her her first Academy Award.

The Glenda Jackson Theatre, on the Borough Road campus of Wirral Metropolitan College, Birkenhead, was named after her in 1983.[4] It closed in 2003, and was demolished by Wirral Council, to make way for a new housing estate, in 2004.[5]

Career in politics [edit]

Jackson retired from acting in order to enter the House of Commons in the 1992 general election as the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate. After the 1997 general election, she was appointed a junior minister in the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair, with responsibility for London Transport, a post she resigned before an attempt to be nominated as the Labour Party candidate for the election of the first Mayor of London in 2000. The nomination was eventually won by Frank Dobson, who lost the election to Ken Livingstone, the independent candidate. In the 2005 general election, she received 14,615 votes, representing 38.29% of the votes cast in the constituency.

As a high profile backbencher she became a regular critic of Blair over his plans to introduce top-up fees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. She also called for him to resign following the Judicial Enquiry by Lord Hutton in 2003 surrounding the reasons for going to war in Iraq and the death of government adviser Dr. David Kelly. Jackson was generally considered to be a traditional left-winger, often disagreeing with the dominant Blairite governing Third Way faction in the Labour Party.

By October 2005, her problems with Blair's leadership swelled to a point where she threatened to challenge the Prime Minister as a stalking horse candidate in a leadership contest if he did not stand down within a reasonable amount of time. On 31 October 2006, Jackson was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War.[6]

Her constituency boundaries changed for the 2010 general election. The Gospel Oak and Highgate wards became part of Holborn & St Pancras, and the new Hampstead & Kilburn constituency switched into Brent to include Brondesbury, Kilburn and Queens Park wards (from the old Brent East and Brent South seats). On 6 May 2010, Jackson was elected as the MP for the new Hampstead and Kilburn constituency with a margin of 42 votes over Conservative Chris Philp and Liberal Democrat Edward Fordham. She had the second closest result and second smallest majority of any MP in the 2010 election.

In June 2011, Jackson announced that, presuming the Parliament elected in 2010 lasts until 2015, she would not seek re-election. She explained "I will be almost 80 and by then it will be time for someone else to have a turn".[7]

In April 2013, Jackson gave a speech in parliament over discussion about the passing of Margaret Thatcher.[8] Criticising Thatcher's policies, she accused Thatcher of treating "vices as virtues" and stated that because of Thatcherism England was susceptible to unprecedented unemployment rates and homelessness.[9]

Personal life [edit]

Jackson has a son, Daniel, born in 1969 from her marriage to Roy Hodges. Dan Hodges is a Labour advisor and commentator.[10] She was five months pregnant when filming on Women in Love completed.[11] Her marriage to Hodges lasted from 1958 until their divorce in 1976.[12]

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1963 This Sporting Life Singer at party Uncredited
1967 Benefit of the Doubt Bit part
1967 Marat/Sade Inmate portraying Charlotte Corday
1968 Tell Me Lies Guest
1968 Wednesday Play, TheThe Wednesday Play Julie Also released as Let's Murder Vivaldi
1968 Negatives Vivien
1969 Women in Love Gudrun Brangwen
1969 ITV Saturday Night Theatre Marina Palek Also released as Salve Regina
1970 Play of the Month
1970 Music Lovers, TheThe Music Lovers Antonina "Nina" Milyukova
1971 Sunday Bloody Sunday Alex Greville
1971 Boy Friend, TheThe Boy Friend Rita Uncredited
1971 Mary, Queen of Scots Queen Elizabeth I
1971 Elizabeth R Queen Elizabeth I
1972 Triple Echo, TheThe Triple Echo Alice
1973 Touch of Class, AA Touch of Class Vicki Allessio
1973 Bequest to the Nation, AA Bequest to the Nation Lady Hamilton
1974 Maids, TheThe Maids Solange
1975 Romantic Englishwoman, TheThe Romantic Englishwoman Elizabeth Fielding
1975 Devil Is a Woman, TheThe Devil Is a Woman Sister Geraldine Italian: Il Sorriso del grande tentatore
1975 Hedda Hedda Gabler
1976 Incredible Sarah, TheThe Incredible Sarah Sarah Bernhardt Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1977 Nasty Habits Sister Alexandra
1978 House Calls Ann Atkinson
1978 Stevie Stevie Smith
1978 Class of Miss MacMichael, TheThe Class of Miss MacMichael Conor MacMichael
1979 Lost and Found Tricia
1980 Hopscotch Isobel von Schonenberg
1980 Health Isabella Garnell
1981 Patricia Neal Story, TheThe Patricia Neal Story Patricia Neal
1982 Return of the Soldier, TheThe Return of the Soldier Margaret Grey
1982 Giro City Sophie
1984 Sakharov Yelena Bonner (Sakharova)
1985 Turtle Diary Neaera Duncan
1987 Beyond Therapy Charlotte
1987 Business as Usual Babs Flynn
1988 Strange Interlude Nina Leeds Television film
1988 Salome's Last Dance Herodias / Lady Alice
1989 Rainbow, TheThe Rainbow Anna Brangwen
1989 King of the Wind Queen Caroline
1989 Doombeach Miss
1990 T-Bag's Christmas Ding Dong Vanity Bag Television film
1990 Real Story of Humpty Dumpty, TheThe Real Story of Humpty Dumpty Glitch the Witch (voice)
1991 House of Bernarda Alba, TheThe House of Bernarda Alba Bernarda Alba Television film
1991 Murder of Quality, AA Murder of Quality Ailsa Brimley Television film
1992 Secret Life of Arnold Bax, TheThe Secret Life of Arnold Bax Harriet Cohen Television film
1994 Wave of Passion: The Life of Alexandra Kollontai, AA Wave of Passion: The Life of Alexandra Kollontai Alexandra Kollontai Television film (voice)

Awards [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Andy Bloxom (7 May 2010). "General Election 2010: the 10 closest battles". The Telegraph (telegraph.co). Retrieved 2011-11-04. 
  2. ^ a b Uglow, Jennifer S.: Hinton, Frances; and Hendry, Maggy. The Northeastern Dictionary of Women's Biography. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1999, p. 276.
  3. ^ Peter Waymark. "Richard Burton top draw in British cinemas." Times [London] 30 Dec. 1971: 2. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2012.
  4. ^ Steve Grant, ‘Spectrum: A talent to smoulder and chill / Times Profile of actress Glenda Jackson’, The Times (15 January 1987).
  5. ^ Liam Murphy, ‘College to be replaced by 125 town houses’ Daily Post (Liverpool, 17 July 2004), p. 11.
  6. ^ "Labour MPs who rebelled on Iraq". BBC News. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-31. 
  7. ^ Graham, Georgia (23 June 2011). "Glenda Jackson won’t stand in next election". Ham & High. 
  8. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/video/2013/apr/11/glenda-jackson-margaret-thatcher-video
  9. ^ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/labour-mp-glenda-jackson-shatters-the-love-during-parliament-tributes/story-e6frg6so-1226618581749
  10. ^ Ian Hall (28 February 2003). "Profile: Dan Hodges, Freedom To Fly". PR Week (prweek.com). Retrieved 2011-11-04. 
  11. ^ "Biography for Glenda Jackson". imdb.com. Retrieved 2011-11-04. 
  12. ^ "Milestones". Time (Time.com). 9 February 1976. Retrieved 2011-11-04. 

External links [edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Geoffrey Finsberg		 Member of Parliament for Hampstead & Highgate
1992–2010		 Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Hampstead & Kilburn
2010–present		 Incumbent
Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glenda_Jackson&oldid=553144996"