Jane Lapotaire, Stage Legend, Passes Away at 81

0:00It's March 12, and here's what's happening across entertainment and pop culture. British actress Jane Lapotere, best known for her roles in the crown in Downton Abbey, has passed away at the age of 81. She died on March 5, and the Royal Shakespeare Company confirmed the news on Thursday. No cause of death was shared. Lapotere earned a Tony Award for her starring role as Edith Piaf on Broadway in 1980, along with an Olivier Award for the same play. She also shown his Marie Curie in a BBC miniseries, and Gertrude in a production of Hamlet, opposite Kenneth Branagh. Fans and colleagues are mourning the loss of a stage legend who began her career in 1965 at the Bristol Old Vic. The Royal Shakespeare Company called her a truly brilliant actress in their statement, highlighting her long tenure with the group. Lapotere faced challenges early on, including a tough adoption story in Ipswich, England, where she was born in December 1944. Later, a brain hemorrhage in 2000's sideline her for a time, but she bounced back with

1:02a memoir and recent honors like a commander of the order of the British Empire at Windsor Castle last month. She leased behind her son, Rowan Jaffy, from her marriage to director Roland Jaffy. Her work across theatre, film, and television will be remembered for decades. Thanks to our sponsor for supporting today's coverage, your pillow, your podcast, your moment, made for listening in bed, R-S-O-L-I-S-O-L-Pillow.com.