Phyllida Law, the actor known for her subtle performances on stage and screen, has died aged 94. She was perhaps best known as the mother of Emma and Sophie Thompson, but she was supremely gifted herself as an actor, costume designer and writer.
Career highlights with family and peers
Law appeared with Emma in the film Nanny McPhee (2005) and with Sophie in the 1996 television film of Jane Austen's Emma, playing the mother of Sophie's Miss Bates. During Emma's marriage to Kenneth Branagh, Law was sterling support in several of his films, including Much Ado About Nothing (1993) as Ursula.
Her stage experience stretched back to the 1950s, with seasons at the Old Vic and Bristol Old Vic. There she met and married fellow actor Eric Thompson in 1957. She appeared in many television series from 1960 onwards, including Barchester Chronicles in 1982 and Midsomer Murders in 2011.
Later work and writing
Law wrote two books about maternal conflicts: Notes to My Mother-in-Law (2009) and How Many Camels Are There in Holland? Dementia, Ma and Me (2013). A third book, Dead Now of Course (2017), included accounts of working with Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson and Michael Gambon.
Her later films included The Time Machine (2002) and Unleashed (2005). She received an honorary doctorate from Glasgow University in 2013 and was appointed OBE in 2014.
Law died on 27 July 2026. She is survived by her daughters Emma and Sophie and four grandchildren.
