British actress Geraldine McEwan, who was best known for playing Agatha Christie’s TV sleuth Miss Marple, has died at the age of 82.
Though renowned for her role as the fictional detective, the actress also enjoyed a successful career on stage, winning a pair of Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her performances in 1995’s The Way Of The World and 1983’s The Rivals at the National Theatre.
After beginning her theatrical career behind the scenes as an assistant stage manager at the age of 14, McEwan made her first acting appearance at the Theatre Royal Windsor in 1946, taking on the role of Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Later in her career she would go on to appear in numerous other Shakespearean roles including Olivia in Twelfth Night, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Ophelia in Hamlet, all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
McEwan’s West End debut came in 1951 when she took to the stage of the Vaudeville Theatre as Christina Deed in John Dighton’s comedy Who Goes There! A series of London stage appearances followed as the actress went on to star in August Strindberg’s Dance Of Death alongside Laurence Olivier and a 1997 revival of Eugène Ionesco’s The Chairs, a co-production between the Royal Court and Theatre De Complicite, which later transferred to Broadway and earned McEwan a Tony Award nomination. Most recently, she appeared in the 1999 West End revival of Noël Coward’s Hay Fever to mark the playwright’s centenary.
A successful stage performer, McEwan also turned her hand to directing, taking the helm of productions including As You Like It for Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company, which starred the actor as Touchstone, and Christopher Hampton’s Treats at the Hampstead Theatre in the late 80s.
On screen McEwan’s credits included Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, for which the actress was awarded a BAFTA, Mulberry, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit and A Matter Of Loaf And Death.
Announcing her death, her son and daughter said: “Following a stroke at the end of October and a period in hospital, Geraldine McEwan passed away peacefully on 30 January. Her family would like to thank the staff at Charing Cross Hospital who cared for her incredibly well.”
On hearing about McEwan’s death, fellow performers took to Twitter to pay tribute to the actress. France Barber said “RIP Beautiful Geraldine McKewan. Wonderful actress. Fabulous woman,” while Amanda Holden, who had the pleasure of working with McEwan during her 60 year career, commented: “So sad to hear about the death of Geraldine McEwan. Was honoured to have worked with her in Agatha Christies 450 to Paddington.”