Phyllida Law, the distinguished Scottish actress whose remarkable career stretched across theatre, television and film for more than six decades, has died at the age of 94. Law, who was also the mother of acclaimed actresses Emma Thompson and Sophie Thompson, died on July 27, 2026. Her longtime personal manager, Jacky Leggo, later confirmed the news, saying that Law died peacefully at home with members of her family around her. No specific cause of death was publicly announced. Her death brings to a close a long career that connected several generations of British theatre and screen history.
Discover more
breakfast
pork tenderloin
pork
Born Phyllida Ann Law in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 6, 1932, she initially imagined that her professional future would take place behind the scenes rather than in front of an audience. She was interested in drawing and design and entered the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School with plans connected to stage design. Acting, however, gradually became the direction that defined her professional life. Her early years at the Bristol Old Vic helped establish the foundation for a career that would eventually include classical theatre, contemporary drama, comedy, television and feature films.
It was also during her Bristol years that Law met actor and writer Eric Thompson. The two married in 1957 and later became parents to Emma and Sophie Thompson, both of whom would establish substantial acting careers of their own. Eric Thompson became particularly well known for writing and narrating the English-language version of the children’s television series The Magic Roundabout. He died in 1982 at the age of 53, leaving Law widowed while their daughters were still young adults.
