Earlier than changing into a British nationwide treasure and a family identify, Joanna Lumley started her profession as a mannequin throughout the 60s earlier than venturing into appearing in 1969. She gained her first uncredited position within the movie Some Ladies Do earlier than starring within the James Bond film, Her Majesty’s Secret Service, as a shocking Bond Lady. Since then, Joanna has continued to make common appearances on screens, with every new alternative surpassing the earlier one. Because of this, at 79, the icon has proven no signal of slowing down as she rakes in an astronomical £10,000 every week.
Having maintained her prominence for over 5 many years, Joanna has secured main roles in every era. This consists of her most up-to-date portrayal because the glamorous and highly effective Grandmama within the second season of Netflix’s hit horror-comedy collection, Wednesday. Nonetheless, to many, the actress is broadly recognised because the outrageous Patsy Stone, within the 90s sitcom Completely Fabulous, alongside comic Jennifer Saunders.
All through the years, Joanna has labored arduous to build up her jaw-dropping weekly wage.
She has additionally starred in numerous profitable blockbusters, together with Paddington 2 and The Wolf of Wall Road, in addition to fashionable UK collection resembling Idiot Me As soon as and Motherland, alongside its spin-off, Amandaland.
Her stellar portrayals are mirrored in accounts of her manufacturing agency, Chrysolite Enterprises Ltd. Newest accounts present she earned £500,000 in 2024 in paid herself a £252,000 dividend. The agency additionally retains money in its coffers of £686,000.
Regardless of being 79, Joanna has proven no real interest in slowing down or entering into retirement. Throughout an look on the SANDS Worldwide Movie Pageant of St Andrews in Scotland in Could, the actress mentioned: “I will be right here once I’m 90 – so long as I can converse.
“Once I was 16 and informed the careers officer at my convent faculty that I wished to enter appearing, he informed me that the one jobs open to me in movie can be as a continuity or make-up woman,” she mentioned, based on the Day by day Mail.
There, she additionally shared her appreciation for the evolution of the appearing business. Joanna added: “Prior to now, girls like me would have been sidelined at 38, however now there are lead components for folks of their 50s and large components for these of their 70s.”
Regardless of her appreciable success, the actress has opened up in regards to the challenges she confronted on her journey to stardom, notably the struggles that adopted changing into a single mom at simply 21.
She mentioned: “I have been skint, I had no cash, and we lived off Marmite sandwiches for months, and I burnt furnishings to maintain us heat.”
