Jessica Tandy was a well-known British-American actress who appeared in more than 100 stage production and had more than 60 roles in TV and movies. She became the oldest actress to receive the Academy Award for best actress.
Moreover, she became the oldest actress to receive Academy Award for her performance in “Driving Miss Daisy”.
In the 1980s she played in a number of movies such as ‘Honky Tonk Freeway’, ‘The World According to Garp’, ‘Still of the Night, ‘Best Friends’, ‘The Bostonians, and ‘Terror in the Aisles.
Jessica Tandy’s Date of Birth and Age
Jessica Alice Tandy who is also known as Jessica Tandy was born on 7 June 1909, in Hackney, London. She belongs to an England Nationality. Likewise, her birth sign was Gemini.
Similarly, Jessica died at the age of 85 years in 1994. She lived her life happily with her friends and family till her last breath.
Jessica Tandy’s Parents and Siblings
Jessica Tandy is the daughter of Harry Tandy and his wife Jessie Helen Tandy. Her father worked as a traveling salesman for rope manufacturers, whereas her mother was the head of the school for mentally Handicapped children.
Her father died when she was 12 years old. Thereafter, her mother raised Jessica and her Siblings. In order to add income after her husband’s death, she took an additional teaching job at a night school.
Jessica was the youngest child of her parents along with her two elder brothers. Her brother Edward was later a prisoner of war with the Japanese in Asia.
Jessica Tandy’s Education
Jessica was admitted to Dame Alice Owen’s School, located in the London Borough of Islington at that time for her Secondary Education. However, she couldn’t complete her studies as her illness was disturbing her education.
In 1924, when Jessica was 15 years old she enrolled in a three-year dramatic course at Ben Greet Academy of Acting. Her mother encouraged her to do so because she thought that it was a dignified way out for her.
Jessica Tandy’s Career
Tandy was interested in theater and acting since she was 13 years old. She began to accompany her mother to the night school as she was too young to be left out at home.
There she enrolled in a Shakespeare appreciation class, very soon developing a love for the Bard. In her 60 years of acting career, she appeared in more than one hundred stage shows, twenty-five movies, and many television programs.
On 22 November 1927, she made her debut in ‘The Manderson Girls’ portraying Sara Manderson. The play was staged at Playhouse Six, a small backroom theatre in Soho, which led to an invitation from Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Soon after a long time with the Repertory, her career began to rise rapidly and she became more famous. In 1929, she debuted at the West End, securing a role in C. K. Monroe’s ‘The Rumour’.
Some of her popular movies are ‘Forever Amber’ (1947), ‘September Affair (1950), ‘The Birds’ (1963), ‘The Bostonians’ (1984), ‘Cocoon: The Return (1988), ‘And Fried Green Tomatoes (1991).
In 1940, Tandy moved to New York City with her six years old daughter. She played Dr. Mary Murray in it. In spite of doing well, she did not get another role because foreign actors had to wait for six months between two engagements.
Finally, she got a role in the movie named, ‘The Seventh Cross’ in 1994.
Likewise, she played a side role in various movies such as s Louise Kane in ‘The Valley of Decision’ (1945), Kate Leckie in ‘The Green Years’ (1946), Peggy O’Malley in ‘Dragonwyck’ (1946), and Nan Britton in ‘Forever Amber’ (1947).
Jessica Tandy’s Husband
Jessica Tandy married English actor Jack Hawkin on 22 October 1932. The couple was blessed with a beautiful daughter named, Susan. However, their relationship didn’t go well, and ended their marriage on January 2, 1940.
Later, she married Canadian actor Hume Cronyn in September 1942. The couple had two children named, andy Cronyn and son Christopher Cronyn. They spend 52 years together as a happy couple. In 1952, she became an American Citizen though she was British.
Jessica Tandy’s Death
Jessica Tandy died on September 11, 1994, at the age of 85. She struggled with Ovarian Cancer for the last four years of her life. Similarly, she also suffered from glaucoma and angina. She spends her last year of life with her friends and family.
Jessica Tandy’s Net Worth
Jessica Tandy had earned a huge sum of money from her professional career. Her main source of income was acting, movies, Tv series, drama, and others. She had lived a luxurious life with her friends and family.
However, her net worth was estimated to be around $20 million which she earned throughout her acting career.