Glenda Jackson will star in BBC1's Elizabeth Is Missing
The Academy Award-winning actress returns to the screen after a 25-year hiatus
Two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson is set to play the lead role BBC1's upcoming adaptation of Elizabeth Is Missing, marking the 83-year-old actress' first return to the screen in over 25 years.
Adapted from Emma Healey’s bestselling novel of the same name, the one-off feature length drama is written by Andrea Gibb (Swallows and Amazons) and will star Jackson as Maud, a woman struggling with dementia while attempting to piece together what's happened to her best friend Elizabeth.
After Elizabeth goes missing, Maud is convinced that something terrible has occurred, and she sets out to solve the mystery, all the while fighting against time as her dementia worsens. As Maud becomes more forgetful, the distinctions between past and present begin to blur — and she begins to wonder whether the mystery is connected to the decades-old unsolved disappearance of her own sister, Sukey...
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On joining the cast, Jackson said that she was "delighted" to be returning to television.
“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 said: “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.”
British actress Glenda Jackson won two Oscars in the 1970s for Women in Love and A Touch of Class, but she later retired from acting and entered into politics, serving as a Junior Transport minister under Tony Blair. However, in 2015 she returned to the stage, winning a Tony Award for her performance in Three Tall Women on Broadway.
Sarah Brown, Executive Producer at STV Productions said: “We are honoured that one of our country's finest actors has chosen Elizabeth is Missing for her long awaited return to television. In Maud, novelist Emma Healey has created a truly memorable character who has captivated millions of readers. We couldn’t be more excited that Maud is now being brought to life on screen by the legendary Glenda Jackson.”
Filming starts for Elizabeth Is Missing this summer in Scotland.
