Biography
Joyce Redman was an Anglo-Irish actress. She was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, without ever winning the award.
Redman was born in an Anglo-Irish family in Northumberland. The family eventually moved back to County Mayo, Ireland, where Redman was raised. She and her three sisters were educated at home by a private governess. Redman later pursued an acting education, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. She graduated from the Academy in 1936, at the age of 21.
Redman remained primarily a theatrical actress for decades, though she also appeared in television films. She performed at both the Comédie-Française in Paris and The Old Vic in London. One for her theatrical hits was playing the role of Anne Boleyn (c. 1501-1536) in the play "Anne of the Thousand Days" (1948) by Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959). In 1949, she appeared in this role in New York City, to great success. In 1955, Redman in 1955, joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, where she primarily appeared in Shakespearean roles.
Redman made her film debut in the spiritualism-themed drama "Spellbound" (1941), where she played an unnamed maid. Her first credited role was that of Jet van Dieren in the war film "One of Our Aircraft Is Missing" (1942). The film was an unusually realist take on the war, and has been considered a classic of British cinema.
Redman's next film appearance was the role of Mrs. Waters (a.k.a. Jenny Jones) in "Tom Jones" (1963).. In the film, Mrs. Waters has a sexual affair with protagonist (played by Albert Finney) without being aware of his background; when the story later reveals that she is the long-lost Jenny Jones, who had claimed to be Tom's biological mother when he was a foundling, the impression is given that they unknowingly committed incest, which is played for comic effect when Mrs. Waters learns after the fact who Tom is (it ultimately turns out that Tom's biological mother was actually not Jenny but another character in the story, so there was no incest after all). For this role, Redman was first nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The award was instead won by rival actress Margaret Rutherford (1892-1972).
Redman next appeared in "Othello" (1965), an adaptation of the 1603 play by William Shakespeare. Redman played Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's maidservant. In the play and its adaptations, Emilia steals Desdemona's handkerchief and hands it over to Iago. Iago then uses the stolen handkerchief to frame Desdemona for adultery. When Emilia denounces her husband's plan, Iago kills his wife in order to silence her. For this role Redman gained her second and last nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The award was instead won by rival actress Shelley Winters (1920-2006).
Redman's following film appearance was the comedy film "Prudence and the Pill" (1968), where five couples use contraceptive pills to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Her final film role was the drama film "A Different Kind of Love" (1985), playing the lead role of Mrs. Prior. In the film, Mrs. Prior urges her son to marry, despite the fact that her son is homosexual and has an ongoing relationship with another man.
Redman played an elderly Queen Victoria (1819-1901, reigned 1837-1901) in the mini-television series "Victoria & Albert" (2001). Afterwards she retired from acting. She died in May 2012 due to pneumonia. She was 96-years-old, one of the oldest living actresses.
