Joan Plowright, Dame and Tony Award winner, dies at 95
Joan Plowright, an era-defining English actress, is dead at 95.
Plowright died Jan. 16 surrounded by her family, according to a family statement reported by the BBC and other British media outlets such as The Independent.
Plowright, who was also a British Dame, debuted as an actress in the beloved 1956 film “Moby Dick” before breaking out in the movie industry for the 1960 film adaptation of “The Entertainer” alongside Laurence Olivier, whom she later married. Olivier died in 1989.
During her career, which spanned generations, Plowright garnered two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. She also nabbed nominations for an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and two BAFTA Awards, the British equivalent of the Oscar.
“She enjoyed a long and illustrious career across theatre, film and TV over seven decades until blindness made her retire,” the statement said of the actress, who retired from acting a decade ago in 2014.
She also starred in “Enchanted April,” “Tea with Mussolini,” “101 Dalmatians” and “Drowning by Numbers.”
“We are so proud of all Joan did and who she was as a loving and deeply inclusive human being,” the statement said.
A BBC documentary that premiered in 2018 showed Plowright recalling her portrayal of the character Beatie Bryant in the 1959 groundbreaking stage production “Roots” and the rarity of women in lead roles in the early aughts.
“Beatie is the center of attention, the center of the story instead of being on the side, the decoration bit, the support,” Plowright told BBC at the time.
We’ve never been particularly fond of the Lexus RC, but that won’t stop us from mourning the death of yet another V-8. Lexus has confirmed that the regular RC and the eight-cylinder RC F will end production after this year. That means they won’t be retired immediately, rather 2025 marks the final model year for both cars.
Before it goes, the RC gets one minor visual change, as it adopts red brake calipers (changed from orange). That only applies to rear-drive RC F Sport models, though, as the other trims are unchanged.
Things are slightly more exciting for the proper RC F, which will be sold exclusively in Final Edition form for 2025. The last version of the RC F builds off last year’s Carbon Package model, so it features a carbon-fiber treatment for the front spoiler, rear diffuser, roof, and the active rear wing.
The RC F rides on a set of 19-inch BBS wheels, and there’s even a special engine-cover badge for its 5.0-liter V-8. As with the lesser RC, the F gets red brake calipers. The interior gets a new look too, with the leather and Ultrasuede finished in a special red and black job.
The last RC F we tested was the 2021 Fuji Speedway Edition, which we guided to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat. While certainly not slow, the $100,000 Lexus continues to fall by the wayside of competitors in the same price class. Still, we’ll lament the loss of yet another naturally aspirated V-8 on our roads.
For the final model year, the 2025 Lexus RC300, with its turbo four and rear-wheel drive, starts at $46,445. The all-wheel-drive version has a naturally aspirated V-6 and is priced at $49,135. Meanwhile, the RC350 has a more powerful version of the same V-6; it starts at $49,375 and $51,540 for rear- or all-wheel drive, respectively. The RC F Final Edition starts at $94,000 and features a 472-hp 5.0-liter V-8.
