Phyllida Ann Law (6 July 1932 − 27 July 2026) was a Scottish television, film and stage actress. Having trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, she appeared in television series such as Dixon of Dock Green, Rumpole of the Bailey, Kingdom and Foyle's War. Her film credits included Peter's Friends (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and The Winter Guest (1997). Her daughters Emma and Sophie Thompson are also actresses.

Early life and education Phyllida Ann Law was born on 6 July 1932 in Glasgow, Scotland, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her father was a newspaper journalist with the Glasgow Herald who, she recalled, "kept odd hours"; when the war broke out, he went into the Royal Air Force and separated from his wife. Later, they were divorced. Law would not see her father again until she was 18. Law's mother Meg worked in a dress shop in Glasgow during the war. The family also included Law's brother, James, her elder by five years, and their maternal grandmother, the wife of a Presbyterian minister, and "a fierce Presbyterian" herself whom Law "did not like as a child but can now admire".

She attended Glasgow Girls High up to age seven. The war began in September 1939 and Law and her brother were evacuated to family friends outside Glasgow in Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, and attended a local school there, before Law transferred to Skelmorlie, Ayrshire, and then a school near the Clyde. At 13 she passed an entrance exam for Badminton School in Bristol, and became a boarder there. Leaving the school at 17, she initially accepted a place at university to read French and Literature, but disliked the experience and left. She then auditioned for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, intending to train as a stage designer, and discovered – by "happy mistake" – that she wanted to act instead. Career Law worked extensively in television, including appearances in Dixon of Dock Green, Rumpole of the Bailey and the 1972 adaptation of the Lord Peter Wimsey tale The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club. She appeared in films such as Peter's Friends (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993) (playing Ursula, alongside daughter Emma as Beatrice) and The Winter Guest (1997) (playing Elspeth, alongside daughter Emma as Frances).

She was in the original London cast of La Cage aux Folles at the London Palladium in 1986, playing the role of Jacqueline.

In 2004, she guest-starred in the Rosemary & Thyme episode entitled "Orpheus in the Undergrowth" as May Beauchamp. In 2007 she guest-starred in two Doctor Who spin-off adventures: as Bea Nelson-Stanley in The Sarah Jane Adventures story "Eye of the Gorgon" and as Beldonia in the audio drama Doctor Who: The Bride of Peladon. In 1963 Law had auditioned for one of the original four regular leads in Doctor Who, "Miss McGovern". She did not win the part, the name of which was subsequently changed to Barbara Wright.

Also in 2007 she played Aunt Auriel in the drama Kingdom starring Stephen Fry. In 2008 she appeared as a guest star in Foyle's War.

In November 2009, Law published her first memoir. Notes to my Mother-In-Law () concerns the 17 years Law's mother-in-law lived with the family from the mid-1960s until her death. In January 2010 she appeared with Tony Slattery on Ready Steady Cook. She starred alongside John Hurt in a short film entitled Love at First Sight which was shortlisted for an Oscar in 2012.

Personal life Law met fellow actor Eric Thompson while working at the Old Vic theatre in London in the 1950s. They were married from 1957 until his death in 1982. Their daughters Emma and Sophie Thompson are both actresses.

Law developed Parkinson's disease in later life and died on 27 July 2026, aged 94.

Awards In 2013 Law received an Honorary Doctorate from Glasgow Caledonian University and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Honours Law was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama and for charitable services.

Filmography Film YearTitleRole(s)Notes1968 Otley Jean 1973 Hitler: The Last Ten Days Constanze Manziarly1989 Tree of Hands Julia 1992 Peter's Friends Vera1993 Much Ado About Nothing Ursula 1994 Before the RainMother Junior Dr. Talbot Uncredited1996 Emma Mrs. Bates 1997 Anna Karenina Vronskaya The Winter Guest Elspeth 1999 Mad Cows Lady Drake 2000 Saving Grace Margaret Sutton 2002 The Time Machine Mrs. Watchit2003 I’ll Be There Mrs. Williams 2005 Nanny McPhee Mrs. Partridge VoiceDanny the DogDistinguished Lady Mee-Shee: The Water Giant Mrs. Coogan 2006 Day of Wrath Esperanza de Mendoza Miss Potter Louisa Warne2007 The Waiting Room Helen2010 Ways to Live Forever GrandmotherLove at First Sight Ruth Short filmArrietty Sadako UK English dub2011 Albert Nobbs Mrs. Cavendish 2014 A Little Chaos Suzanne2016Bakery in BrooklyniPad Baker2020 Then Came You Arlene Awd

Partial television credits YearTitleRoleNotes1960 ITV Television Playhouse Julia Cathart Episode: "Missing from Home"1964–1966 Play School Nurse / Presenter 75 episodes1971 Play For Today The Wife Episode "Evelyn"1972 The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club Marjorie Phelps2 episodes1973 A Picture of Katherine MansfieldLinda Burnell / Mother / Mrs. Beauchamp / Mrs. Sheridan 5 episodes1978 Come Back, Lucy Aunt Gwen6 episodes1982 The Barchester Chronicles Mrs. StanhopeEpisode: "Part Three"1984 Strangers and Brothers Mrs. Henneker Episode: "11"1987 Rumpole of the BaileyHonoria BirdEpisode: "Rumpole and the Blind Tasting"1988–1992 That's Love Babs10 episodes1989 Agatha Christie's Poirot Lady Carrington Episode: "The Incredible Theft"1992 The House of Eliott Edith DuglassEpisode: "2.3"1994 Taggart Joan MathiesonEpisode: "Forbidden Fruit"The Blue Boy Marie's Mother TV movieHeartbeat Nancy Bellow Episode: "Witch Hunt"1999 Midsomer MurdersFelicity Dinsdale Episode: "Blood Will Out"The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns Lady MargaretTV movie2002 Monarch of the Glen Isobel Hogg Episode: "4.2"The Swap Rose Trenchard TV movie2003 Brush with FateMaria TV movie2004Waking the Dead Mrs. Carstairs Episode: "The Hardest Word"Rosemary & ThymeMay Beauchamp Episode: "Orpheus in the Undergrowth"2005 Afterlife Irene Moser Episode: "The 7:59 Club"2006 Pinochet in Suburbia Lucía Hiriart TV movie2007 The Sarah Jane AdventuresBea Nelson-Stanley Serial: Eye of the GorgonMiss Austen Regrets Cassandra Leigh AustenTV movie2007–2009 Kingdom Aunt Auriel 16 episodes 2008 Foyle's War Lady Muriel Sackville Episode: "Broken Souls"2010 Doc Martin Mrs. McLynn Episode: "Driving Mr McLynn"Agatha Christie's Poirot Mrs. Llewellyn-Smythe Episode: "Hallowe'en Party"2011 The Bleak Old Shop of StuffAunt Sobriety Episode: "Christmas Special"Midsomer Murders Mary Bingham Episode: "Dark Secrets"2013 New Tricks Eliza Belgrade Episode: "Into the Woods "

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