Skip to content
MovieCove
Glenda Jackson

Glenda Jackson

Actor · Died June 15, 2023, aged 87 · Wirral, England, UK

Glenda May Jackson CBE (9 May 1936, Birkenhead, Cheshire – 15 June 2023) was an English actress and politician. She was one of the few artists to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. She was made a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1978. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice: for her roles in Women in Love (1970) and A Touch of Class (1973). She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). Her other notable roles include Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Hedda (1975), The Incredible Sarah (1976) and Hopscotch (1980). She won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as Elizabeth I in the BBC series Elizabeth R (1971). She received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her role in Elizabeth Is Missing (2019). Jackson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She made her Broadway debut in Marat/Sade (1966). She received five Laurence Olivier Award nominations for her West End roles in Stevie (1977), Antony and Cleopatra (1979), Rose (1980), Strange Interlude (1984) and King Lear (2016), the later being her first role after a 25 year absence from acting, which she reprised on Broadway in 2019. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in the revival of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women (2018). Jackson took a hiatus from acting to take on a career in politics from 1992 to 2015, and was elected as the Labour Party MP for Hampstead and Highgate in the 1992 general election. She served as a junior transport minister from 1997 to 1999 during the government of Tony Blair, later becoming critical of Blair. After constituency boundary changes, she represented Hampstead and Kilburn from 2010. At the 2010 general election, her majority of 42 votes, confirmed after a recount, was the narrowest of that parliament. Jackson stood down at the 2015 general election and returned to acting.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 9, 1936
Died
June 15, 2023 (aged 87)
From
Wirral, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
31 on MovieCove · 61 credits in all
TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 49% in 30 days

What are Glenda Jackson's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 5 · Dark 11

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 5

Gentle 4 · Charged 15 · Intense 7

A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 3

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 5

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Casual 9 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 5

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 12

A split, not a type: Resolved 13 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

20 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 20 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 20
Shapeshifter
5 of 20
Shadow
4 of 20
Ally
2 of 20
Herald
2 of 20
Trickster
1 of 20
Show the 20 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
18
Tense
15
Contemplative
8
Bittersweet
7
Absurd
4
Other
22

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Glenda Jackson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 31 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Subscription and free streaming for Glenda Jackson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

61 credits, 31 with a MovieCove page; 30 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak's Cinema of Pretenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Archive

  • The Great Escaper(2023)

    as Irene Jordan

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Mothering Sunday(2021)

    as Jane (Older)

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
  • Mothers of the Revolution(2021)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Elizabeth Is Missing(2019)

    as Maud Palmer Horsham

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • A Wave of Passion: The Life of Alexandra Kollontai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Alexandra Kollontai (voice)

  • The Secret Life of Arnold Bax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Harriet Cohen

  • The House of Bernarda Alba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Bernarda

  • A Murder of Quality(1991)

    as Alisa Brimley

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • King of the Wind(1989)

    as Queen Caroline

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Real Story of Humpty Dumpty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Glitch the Witch (voice)

  • The Rainbow(1989)

    as Anna Brangwen

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
  • Doombeach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Miss Ricketts

  • Salome's Last Dance(1988)

    as Herodias / Lady Alice

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
  • Strange Interlude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · as Nina Leeds

  • Beyond Therapy(1987)

    as Charlotte

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
  • Business as Usual (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Babs Flynn

  • Turtle Diary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Neaera Duncan

  • Sakharov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Yelena Bonner

  • The Return of the Soldier(1982)

    as Margaret Grey

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Giro City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Sophie

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 3 episodes · as Nina Leeds

  • The Patricia Neal Story(1981)

    as Patricia Neal

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
  • Hopscotch(1980)

    as Isobel

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • HealtH (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Isabella Garnell

  • Lost and Found (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Tricia

  • The Class of Miss MacMichael(1978)

    as Conor MacMichael

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • Stevie(1978)

    as Stevie Smith

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
  • House Calls(1978)

    as Ann Atkinson

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
  • Nasty Habits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Sister Alexandra

  • The Incredible Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Sarah Bernhardt

  • Hedda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Hedda

  • The Romantic Englishwoman(1975)

    as Elizabeth

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
  • The Maids(1975)

    as Solange

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • The Devil Is a Woman(1974)

    as Sister Geraldine

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
  • A Touch of Class(1973)

    as Vicki Allessio

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • The Nelson Affair(1973)

    as Lady Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
  • The Triple Echo(1972)

    as Alice Charlesworth

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • Mary, Queen of Scots(1971)

    as Queen Elizabeth

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
  • The Boy Friend(1971)

    as Rita Monroe

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday(1971)

    as Alex Greville

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
  • Elizabeth R(1971)

    Show 6 episodes · as Queen Elizabeth I

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • The Music Lovers(1971)

    as Antonina 'Nina' Milyukova

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
  • Women in Love(1969)

    as Gudrun Brangwen

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
  • ITV Saturday Night Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Marina Palek

  • Negatives(1968)

    as Vivien

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Let's Murder Vivaldi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Julie

  • Tell Me Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Glenda

  • Which of These Two Ladies Is He Married To? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Claire Foley

  • Half Hour Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Claire Foley

  • Marat/Sade(1967)

    as Charlotte Corday

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
  • Opus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Charlotte Corday (Marat/Sade)

  • BBC Play of the Month (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret Schlegel

  • National Geographic Specials(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • Horror of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Cathy

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Cathy · as Julie

  • This Sporting Life(1963)

    as Singer at Party (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • World in Action (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • The Extra Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Extra (uncredited)

  • Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 61 titles, 60 of them dated from 1956 to 2025; peak year 2020.

Film career

19562025

Peak 2020 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting61 of 61: 61 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score62nd

By decade

1950s2 · acting1960s15 · acting1970s18 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s6 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 22% of 18 roles
6373

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Glenda Jackson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 62nd percentile, the median of all 29; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 31 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 31 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Mixed10

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles; fans 85, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Glenda Jackson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles14–34 · median 28 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles17–74 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles9–46 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Glenda Jackson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Glenda Jackson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ken Russell shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers