The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role was an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
This commingled actor/actress award was introduced in 1985, merging the preceding awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. However, this comingled award was suspended after its presentation in 1990; from 1991 to 2012, the supporting category vacillated at random between the commingled award (presented for 12 different seasons) and the original split pair of awards (presented for the other 11 seasons). The comingled Best Performance in a Supporting Role was last presented in 2012, and fully retired thereafter.
On the 16 occasions that this commingled award was given, it was presented six times to an actress and ten times to an actor.
Winners and nominees
1980s Year Actor Play Character 1985 Imelda Staunton A Chorus of Disapproval and The Corn is Green Hannah Llewellyn / Bessie Watty Maria Aitken Waste Frances Trebell Patricia Routledge Richard III Queen Margaret Zoë Wanamaker Mother Courage and Her Children Mother Courage 1986 Paul Jesson The Normal Heart Felix Janet Dale The Merry Wives of Windsor and Othello Mistress Page / Emilia Nicky Henson As You Like It and The Merry Wives of Windsor Touchstone / Ford Fiona Shaw As You Like It and Mephisto Celia / Erika Bruckner 1987 Michael Bryant King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra The Fool / Enobarbus Robin Bailey Fathers and Sons Vassily Ivanyich Bazarov Diane Bull Tons of Money Louise Allington Sheila Reid When I was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout Morag 1988 Eileen Atkins Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and Mountain Language Queen / Paulina / Elderly Woman Rudi Davies A Touch of the Poet Sara Melody Serena Evans Henceforward... Zoe Tony Haygarth The Tempest Trinculo 1989/90 Michael Bryant Hamlet, The Voysey Inheritance and Racing Demon Polonius / Peacey / Rev. Harry Henderson Linda Kerr Scott Ghetto Djigan Simon Russell Beale The Man of Mode, Restoration, Playing with Trains and Some Americans Abroad Sir Fopling Flutter / Lord Are / Danny / Henry McNeil Zoë Wanamaker Othello Emilia
1990s Year Actor Play Character 1996 Simon Russell Beale Volpone Mosca Ben Chaplin The Glass Menagerie Tom Wingfield Geraldine McEwan The Way of the World Lady Wishfort Claire Skinner The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield 1998 Sarah Woodward Tom & Clem Kitty Michael Bryant King Lear Lear's Fool Ronald Pickup Amy's View Frank Oddie Paul Rhys King Lear Edgar 1999 Brendan Coyle The Weir Brendan Emma Fielding The School for Scandal Lady Teazle Adam Godley Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick Kenneth Michael Sheen Amadeus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
2000s Year Actor Play Character 2003 Essie Davis A Streetcar Named Desire Stella Kowalski Jessica Hynes The Night Heron Bolla Mark Strong Twelfth Night Orsino Sian Thomas Up for Grabs Dawn 2004 Warren Mitchell The Price Gregory Solomon Joe Dixon The Roman Actor Paris Oliver Ford Davies Absolutely! (Perhaps) Laudisi Paul Hilton Mourning Becomes Electra Orin 2005 Amanda Harris Othello Emilia Samuel Barnett The History Boys Posner Judi Dench All's Well that Ends Well Countess Rossillion Eddie Redmayne The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Billy 2006 Noma Dumezweni A Raisin in the Sun Ruth Younger David Bradley Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 Henry IV of England Benedict Cumberbatch Hedda Gabler George Tesman Anne Reid Epitaph for George Dillon Kate Elliot Paul Ritter Coram Boy Otis Gardiner 2007 Jim Norton The Seafarer Richard Harkin Samantha Bond Donkeys' Years Rosemary Deborah Findlay The Cut Susan Mark Hadfield Thérèse Raquin Grivet Colm Meaney A Moon for the Misbegotten Phil 2008 Rory Kinnear The Man of Mode Fopling Fluter Michelle Fairley Othello Emilia Pam Ferris The Entertainer Phoebe Rice Conleth Hill Philistines Teterev 2009 Patrick Stewart Hamlet Claudius / Ghost Oliver Ford Davies Hamlet Polonius Kevin McNally Ivanov Lebedev Paul Ritter The Norman Conquests Reg
2010s Year Actor Play Character 2012 Sheridan Smith Flare Path Doris, Countess Skriczevinsky Mark Addy Collaborators Vladimir Oliver Chris One Man, Two Guvnors Stanley Stubbers Johnny Flynn Jerusalem Lee Bryony Hannah The Children's Hour Mary Tilford
See also Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Lists of acting awards List of awards for supporting actor Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
References
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