March 17, 1961. It was St. Patrick’s Day in New York City, but the real headline wasn't a parade. While the world was still obsessed with the messy, tragic fallout of "Larry and Viv," Sir Laurence Olivier was quietly driving out to a small town in Connecticut to start over.
Most people think of the Laurence Olivier wedding Joan Plowright as some grand, theatrical affair. It wasn't. It was basically a tactical strike. They slipped away to Wilton, Connecticut—a quiet spot far enough from the Broadway lights to avoid a circus—and tied the knot in a civil ceremony that caught even their closest friends off guard.
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The Breakup That Preceded the Vows
You can't talk about this wedding without talking about Vivien Leigh. It’s impossible. For twenty years, Olivier and Leigh were the "royal family" of acting. But by 1960, things were beyond broken. Leigh’s struggle with bipolar disorder (then called manic depression) and Olivier’s own exhaustion had turned their marriage into a battlefield.
Then came Joan. She was 31, he was 53. She was the "new generation" of the Royal Court Theatre—earthy, modern, and zero-nonsense. They had met during the production of The Entertainer in 1957. Honestly, Plowright was the polar opposite of the fragile, ethereal Leigh. Olivier didn't just fall for a woman; he fell for a different way of living. He needed stability. He found it in a girl from Scunthorpe.
A Secret Ceremony in Wilton
The timeline here is tight. Olivier’s divorce from Vivien Leigh was finalized only shortly before the wedding. At the time, both Olivier and Plowright were starring in different hits on Broadway. He was playing the lead in Becket at the Royale Theatre, and she was winning a Tony for A Taste of Honey at the Booth Theatre.
They didn't have time for a honeymoon. They barely had time for a lunch.
The couple drove to Wilton, Connecticut, on that Friday morning. Why Wilton? It was discreet. They wanted to avoid the New York press which, back then, was relentless. After the ceremony, they didn't hide away in a hotel. They drove right back to Manhattan. That same evening, they both walked onto their respective stages and performed.
Later that night, they were spotted strolling through Shubert Alley. A photographer caught them—Olivier in a dark suit, Plowright in a fur-trimmed coat and gloves, both looking incredibly relieved. It wasn't the "Wedding of the Century" in terms of scale, but for Olivier, it was the start of the most stable chapter of his life.
Why the Laurence Olivier Wedding Joan Plowright Still Matters
People often ask why this marriage lasted 28 years while the one with Vivien Leigh burned out. The answer is kinda simple: it was a partnership of equals. Plowright wasn't interested in being a "muse" or a tragic figure. She was a working actress who kept Larry grounded.
- The Age Gap: People made a fuss about the 22-year difference, but it didn't seem to matter.
- The Children: They quickly had three kids—Richard, Tamsin, and Julie-Kate.
- The National Theatre: This marriage gave Olivier the domestic peace he needed to go on and found the Royal National Theatre.
The Legacy of a "Surprise" Marriage
When news broke the next day, the public was shocked. Not because they didn't know about the affair—rumors had been swirling for years—but because of how "normal" it all seemed. No gowns, no cathedral, no huge guest list.
If you're looking for lessons from their 1961 nuptials, it's that sometimes the most successful unions are the ones that start without the fanfare. They stayed together until Olivier's death in 1989. Plowright, who later became Dame Joan Plowright, always spoke of their life together with a mix of pragmatism and deep affection. She supplanted a legend, but she did it by just being herself.
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Practical Takeaways from the Olivier-Plowright History:
- Check the Archives: If you're researching this period, look for the Associated Press "Wirephotos" dated March 17 or 18, 1961. These are the most authentic visual records of the day.
- Read the Memoirs: For the real "inside" feel, Joan Plowright’s book And That’s Not All is the gold standard. She’s incredibly blunt about the early days of their relationship.
- Visit the Locations: Shubert Alley in New York still holds that theatrical ghost-energy where they were first photographed as husband and wife.
- Understand the Context: To truly get why they married in Connecticut, you have to understand the strict New York divorce and marriage laws of the early 60s, which often sent couples across state lines for a quicker, quieter process.
The marriage wasn't always easy—Olivier's health failed him later in life—but it started with a quiet drive to a small town, proving that even the biggest stars sometimes just want to be left alone to say "I do."