Joan Plowright's Affair With Laurence Olivier Led to a Marriage and Three Kids

British actor Dame Joan Plowright’s remarkable Hollywood career spanned decades, earning her a spot as one of the most beloved faces in entertainment history. Known for portraying characters that exuded the warmth and charm of a favorite aunt or loving grandmother, millennials especially will remember her fondly from The Spiderwick Chronicles and Dennis the Menace.

On Jan. 16, 2025, the world bid farewell to Joan as she passed away at 95.

In a statement shared to the BBC, her family revealed she died "peacefully" at Denville Hall, surrounded by loved ones. It continued, "She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film, and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire."

Joan leaves behind three children and a legacy of unforgettable performances. Widowed in 1989 after her second husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, passed away at 82, she is now reunited with him. But what about her children, where are they today?

Joan was first married to Roger Gage from 1953 to 1960, before marrying Laurence Olivier, with whom she had an affair while both were still married to others. After the affair, Joan and Laurence eventually tied the knot in 1961 and remained married until his death in 1989. Together, they had three children.

Their son, Richard Olivier, born in 1961, shared in an interview with Julien's Studios that growing up, he had no idea of the magnitude of his parents' fame. He recalled a moment at boarding school when, at age 10, a friend bet him that his father wasn't the Laurence Olivier. Of course, Richard won the bet.

In 1997, Richard directed Henry V for the opening of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, according to his Mythodrama bio. He is also a Fellow of the Findhorn Foundation and an Associate Fellow of Said Business School, University of Oxford. Today, Richard serves as the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer for Olivier Mythodrama.

Two years after welcoming their son, Joan and Laurence had their first daughter, Tamsin, in 1963 in England. Tamsin went on to have her own acting career, starring in films like A Handful of Dust (1988), Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris (1992), and Yellow Bird (2002).

She also appeared in J.B. Priestley's play Time and the Conways, directed by her older brother and featuring her mother and younger sister Julie, according to IMDb.

Tamsin married Simon Dutton in 1995, though according to several sources, the two have since divorced.

Joan's youngest, Julie Kate Olivier, was born on July 27, 1966, in Hove, Sussex, England. Like her mother, Julie pursued a career in acting and also added production manager to her impressive resume. Some of her more notable roles include Casualty (1986), Duel of Hearts (1991), and A Candle in the Dark: The Story of William Carey (1998).

While Joan's kids don't maintain much of a social media presence these days, their mother and father left a lasting impression, guiding them into leading impressive careers.