Glenda to star in new BBC1 drama
Double Oscar winner Glenda Jackson has expressed her “delight” at returning to our screens for the first time in over 25 years.
The 83-year-old will star in a new BBC1 adaptation of Emma Healey’s best-selling 2014 novel, Elizabeth is Missing.
Glenda, who was last seen on TV back in 1992’s The Secret Life of Arnold Bax, will play the role of Maud in the one-off feature length drama, which has been adapted by Andrea Gibb.
Elizabeth is Missing follows dementia sufferer Maud, who’s convinced that something terrible has happened when her best friend, Elizabeth, vanishes.
Maud sets about trying to solve the mystery, which turns into a race against time as her dementia worsens. Can Maud discover the truth before she loses herself completely?
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The former Labour MP said: “Emma’s novel and Andrea’s screenplay paint the most striking portrait of a woman in the grip of a devastating condition. I am delighted to be making my return to television to play Maud, a character it’s impossible not to be charmed and moved by.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, added: “We are thrilled that Glenda Jackson is returning to the BBC and will be at the heart of this inspiring and extraordinary tale. Andrea Gibb’s brilliantly crafted script and adaptation of Elizabeth Is Missing explores important themes told through emotion, warmth and humour.”
Glenda won her first Best Actress Oscar in 1971 for Ken Russell’s adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence classic, Women in Love. She claimed a second Best Actress Oscar in 1974 for the romantic comedy, A Touch of Class.
On television she memorably starred in the BBC series Elizabeth R and famously popped up as Cleopatra on the Morecambe and Wise Show.
Elizabeth is Missing, starring Glenda Jackson, will begin filming this summer in Scotland.
Main Glenda Jackson picture: Getty images
