Hollywood’s beloved veteran actress Phyllida Law, the mother of actress Emma Thompson, has passed away at the age of 94. According to reports, the veteran actress passed away at the end of last month, but the news was only announced on August 18, 2026. The ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ actress worked in both the movie and television industries and appeared in several projects alongside her daughters, Dame Emma Thompson and Sophie Thompson. The very talented and beloved star received an OBE in 2014, and starred with John Hurt in the Oscar-nominated short film ‘Love at First Sight’ in 2012.
Phyllida Law passed away at 94
Female First UK reported that the news of Phyllida Law’s demise was confirmed by her personal manager, Jacky Leggo, who said she “died supremely peacefully at home, surrounded by all her family.”Further, expressing grief, Jacky told the BBC, “It is with great sadness we have to announce that Phyllida Law died supremely peacefully at home, surrounded by all of her family, on Monday, July 27. We had worked together for over fifty years, and she was a beautiful person inside and out”.
More about Phyllida Thompson
With a career spanning over decades, Phyllida Thompson delivered praiseworthy performances in theatre, movies and television. The actress, who got married to Erick Thompson in 1957, also worked on various projects with her daughters.Phyllida and Emma starred together in ‘Peter’s Friends’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, according to ‘Female First UK.’ Both these movies were directed by Emma’s then-husband Sir Kenneth Branagh. Also, the real-life mother and daughter duo showcased the same relationship on screen in ‘The Winter Guest’, which the late Alan Rickman directed in 1997. In addition to this, with her younger daughter Sophie, she was seen in Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ (1996). They also worked on multiple TV series like ‘Midsomer Murders,’ ‘Doc Martin Timeshift’ and ‘Poirot.’Her other notable work in cinema includes ‘The Time Machine’, ‘Miss Potter’, and ‘Albert Nobbs.’ On television, she was loved for her role in ‘Waking the Dead,’ ‘Foyle’s War,’ ‘Rosemary + Thyme,’ and ‘Kingdom.’ Last but not least, on the theatrical front, she was seen alongside Alec Guinness in A Voyage Round My Father in London’s West End in 1971, and Habeas Corpus at the Oxford Playhouse in 1973. She also played Jacqueline in the original London cast of La Cage Aux Folles at the Palladium in 1986.
