Margaret Tyzack
Encyclopedia
Margaret Maud Tyzack, CBE (9 September 193125 June 2011) was a British actress.
, England, the daughter of Doris (née Moseley) and Thomas Edward Tyzack. She grew up in West Ham
(now Greater London
). She attended the all-girls' St Angela's Ursuline School
, Newham
, and was a graduate of RADA
.
in 1962. She received an Olivier Award
in 1982 for a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
in which she played Martha, replacing Joan Plowright
who was ill, and a Tony award
in 1991 for the play Lettice and Lovage
, in which she appeared in both the London and Broadway
productions opposite Dame Maggie Smith
. The American Actors' Equity
initially refused permission for Tyzack to join the New York production, but Smith refused to appear without Tyzack because of the "onstage chemistry" she believed the two women had created in their roles. In 2008, she was acclaimed for her portrayal of Mrs St Maugham in a revival of Enid Bagnold
's The Chalk Garden
at the Donmar Warehouse
, London, for which she won the Best Actress award in the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2009. In 2009, she appeared alongside Helen Mirren
in Phedre
at the Royal National Theatre
.
She appeared in two films directed by Stanley Kubrick
: 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) and A Clockwork Orange
(1971). Tyzack also appeared in Woody Allen
's 2005 film, Match Point
.
However, it was as a television actress that Tyzack became a household name. She is remembered for her leading roles in BBC
television productions. She came to notice as Winifred, Soames's sister, in the well received BBC adaptation of Galsworthy
's The Forsyte Saga
in 1967, a series shown internationally. Tyzack played Queen Anne in The First Churchills
; Bette in Cousin Bette; and Antonia
, mother of the Emperor Claudius, in I, Claudius
. She also played Clothilde Bradbury-Scott in the BBC adaptation of the Agatha Christie
story Nemesis in 1987.
In the 1990s, she played a major role in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
television series as the young Indiana Jones
' strict Oxford
-educated tutor, Miss Helen Seymour. In the 2000s, she made two appearances in Midsomer Murders
. In 2011, she joined the cast of soap opera EastEnders
, playing Lydia Simmonds. On 13 April 2011, it was announced that for personal reasons she had departed Eastenders and that her role had been recast to Heather Chasen
as a result of the nature of the large storyline needing to continue. Tyzack withdrew from the series because of ill health.
Alan Stephenson in 1958 and together they had one son, Matthew.
Tyzack died on 25 June 2011 after a short illness. She died at her home with her family by her side. Her family told the Daily Mail
that Tyzack had faced her illness with "the strength, courage, dignity and even humour with which she lived her life."
Early life
Tyzack was born in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England, the daughter of Doris (née Moseley) and Thomas Edward Tyzack. She grew up in West Ham
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
(now Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
). She attended the all-girls' St Angela's Ursuline School
St Angela's Ursuline School
St Angela's Ursuline School is a Catholic secondary school for girls located in Forest Gate, East London, United Kingdom. Its recent GCSE pass rate of five or more A* - C grades is 93.0%. The school was ranked by The Guardian as 37th out of 423 comprehensives and academies in England and has been...
, Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
, and was a graduate of RADA
Rada
Rada is the term for "council" or "assembly"borrowed by Polish from the Low Franconian "Rad" and later passed into the Czech, Ukrainian, and Belarusian languages....
.
Career
Tyzack was noted for her classical stage roles, having joined the Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
in 1962. She received an Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
in 1982 for a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a play by Edward Albee that opened on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theater on October 13, 1962. The original cast featured Uta Hagen as Martha, Arthur Hill as George, Melinda Dillon as Honey and George Grizzard as Nick. It was directed by Alan Schneider...
in which she played Martha, replacing Joan Plowright
Joan Plowright
Joan Ann Plowright, Baroness Olivier, DBE , better known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English actress, whose career has spanned over sixty years. Throughout her career she has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two BAFTA Awards...
who was ill, and a Tony award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
in 1991 for the play Lettice and Lovage
Lettice and Lovage
Lettice and Lovage is a comedic play by Peter Shaffer, author of Equus and Amadeus. The play was written specifically for Dame Maggie Smith, who originated the title role of Lettice Douffet in both the English and American runs of the production. The role of Lotte Schoen was played by Margaret...
, in which she appeared in both the London and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions opposite Dame Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
. The American Actors' Equity
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
initially refused permission for Tyzack to join the New York production, but Smith refused to appear without Tyzack because of the "onstage chemistry" she believed the two women had created in their roles. In 2008, she was acclaimed for her portrayal of Mrs St Maugham in a revival of Enid Bagnold
Enid Bagnold
Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, CBE , known by her maiden name as Enid Bagnold, was a British author and playwright, best known for the 1935 story National Velvet which was filmed in 1944 with Elizabeth Taylor....
's The Chalk Garden
The Chalk Garden
The Chalk Garden is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered on Broadway in 1955. The play tells the story of Mrs. St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under Miss Madrigal's care. The setting of the play was inspired by Bagnold's own garden at North End House in Rottingdean, near...
at the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, London, for which she won the Best Actress award in the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2009. In 2009, she appeared alongside Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
in Phedre
Phèdre
Phèdre is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677.-Composition and premiere:...
at the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
.
She appeared in two films directed by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
: 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
(1968) and A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
(1971). Tyzack also appeared in Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's 2005 film, Match Point
Match Point
Match Point is a 2005 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton....
.
However, it was as a television actress that Tyzack became a household name. She is remembered for her leading roles in BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television productions. She came to notice as Winifred, Soames's sister, in the well received BBC adaptation of Galsworthy
John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy OM was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include The Forsyte Saga and its sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter...
's The Forsyte Saga
The Forsyte Saga (1967 series)
The Forsyte Saga is a 1967 BBC television adaptation of John Galsworthy's series of The Forsyte Saga novels, and its sequel trilogy A Modern Comedy...
in 1967, a series shown internationally. Tyzack played Queen Anne in The First Churchills
The First Churchills
The First Churchills was a BBC serial from 1969 about the life of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough...
; Bette in Cousin Bette; and Antonia
Antonia Minor
Antonia Minor , also known as Antonia the Younger or simply Antonia was the younger of two daughters of Roman politician Mark Antony and Octavia Minor. Tacitus Ann. 4.44.2 and 12.54.2 may have confused the two Antonia sisters...
, mother of the Emperor Claudius, in I, Claudius
I, Claudius (TV series)
I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time...
. She also played Clothilde Bradbury-Scott in the BBC adaptation of the Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
story Nemesis in 1987.
In the 1990s, she played a major role in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
television series as the young Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
' strict Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
-educated tutor, Miss Helen Seymour. In the 2000s, she made two appearances in Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
. In 2011, she joined the cast of soap opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, playing Lydia Simmonds. On 13 April 2011, it was announced that for personal reasons she had departed Eastenders and that her role had been recast to Heather Chasen
Heather Chasen
Heather Jean Chasen is a Singapore-born English actress. Her best known roles are playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera Crossroads and voicing many roles in BBC Radio 2's The Navy Lark...
as a result of the nature of the large storyline needing to continue. Tyzack withdrew from the series because of ill health.
Honours
Tyzack was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1970 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours, both for services to drama.Personal life
Tyzack married mathematicianMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
Alan Stephenson in 1958 and together they had one son, Matthew.
Tyzack died on 25 June 2011 after a short illness. She died at her home with her family by her side. Her family told the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
that Tyzack had faced her illness with "the strength, courage, dignity and even humour with which she lived her life."