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On June 7, 1909, Jessica Tandy was born in Hackney, London, on Geldeston Road. -
Jessica Tandy was the youngest of three siblings and the child of Harry Tandy and his wife, Jessie Helen Horspool. Her father was a traveling salesman for a rope manufacturer, and her mother was the head of a school for mentally handicapped children. -
Jessica Tandy was an English actress. Tandy was known for her versatility as an actress and worked in various mediums throughout her career. She appeared in over 100 stage productions and had more than 60 roles in film and TV. -
As a child, Jessica suffered from tuberculosis affecting her lungs, which prevented her from attending school regularly. However, she accompanied her mother to night school and enjoyed studying poetry, dance, and drama. -
Her father died when she was 12 and her mother taught evening courses to earn an income. -
In 1924, at age fifteen, she enrolled at Sir Ben Greet‘s Academy of Acting, the most prestigious training ground for actors at that time. -
Instructor Lillian E. Simpson nurtured Jessica Tandy's talent for the three years Jessica attended Sir Ben Greet‘s Academy of Acting -
On November 22, 1927, at 18 years old Tandy made her stage debut in The Manderson Girls at London's Playhouse Six, following the completion of her studies. -
Jessica was cast in her first British film role in The Indiscretions of Eve (1932) -
On October 22, 1932 Jessica Tandy married English actor Jack Hawkins and together they had a daughter, Susan Hawkins -
After 8 years their marriage failed and Jessica and Jack divorced in 1940. -
Broadway restrictions on immigrants limited her possibilities for roles and so she resorted to working in radio. -
In 1942, Tandy married Canadian actor Hume Cronyn. They had two children, a daughter Tandy Cronyn, and a son Christopher Cronyn.
In addition to their radio work Cronyn and Tandy carried forward a tradition that is now a casualty of changing times: the theatrical tour -
In 1944, Tandy made her American film debut in The Seventh Cross.
Tandy and Cronyn also performed together on radio and television, and their film work included The Seventh Cross (1944), The Green Years (1946), The World According to Garp (1982), The Return (1988), and Batteries Not Included (1987). -
On Broadway, she won a Tony Award for her performance as Blanche Dubois in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948. -
Jessica signed a five-year deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with the hopes of becoming a successful movie star, but she was not given any opportunities to play prominent roles. -
Tandy became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1952 -
Tandy in Alfred Hitchcock Presents "The Glass Eye" (1957) -
Her performance in The Gin Game (with Cronyn) brought her a second Tony Award in 1977. -
Jessica Tandy's appearance in Foxfire (again with Cronyn) brought her a third Tony Award in 1982. -
At the age of 80, Jessica Tandy won an Oscar for her colorful performance of an aged, stubborn Southern Jewish housewife in Driving Miss Daisy
Tandy was dedicated to her craft, never expecting starring roles and considering herself fortunate to have the chance to perform each role. -
In 1990, Jessica Tandy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and she also suffered from angina and glaucoma.
Despite her illnesses and age she continued working to appear to great acclaim in films such as Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Used People (1992), and Nobody’s Fool (1994). For their contributions to the arts, Tandy and Hume received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1986. -
Nobody's Fool (1994) proved to be her last performance, at the age of 84. -
On September 11, 1994, she died at home in Easton, Connecticut, at the age of 85 -
"Theatre has the power to heal, to comfort, and to transport us beyond ourselves."
-Theatre is not simply a form of entertainment but a vehicle that can heal the wounds of our souls, and provide solace in times of need. It has the power to bring people together, spark important conversations, and inspire change in society. Through its skilled storytelling and performances, the theater also can evoke empathy in us by allowing us to connect with characters and situations. -
Jessica Tandy. (2023, December 28). Biography. https://www.biography.com/actors/jessica-tandyLinks to an external site. Jessica Tandy - New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jessica_TandLinks to an external site.y IMDb. (n.d.-b). Jessica Tandy. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001788/bio/
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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Jessica Tandy Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/facts/Jessica-Tandy Team, C. (n.d.). Jessica Tandy Net worth, measurements, height, age, weight. Celebrity Bio. https://mycelebritybio.com/jessica-tandy/#google_vignette Jessica Tandy. (n.d.). TVGuide.com. https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jessica-tandy/bio/3000000082Links to an external site./