What is Joanna Lumley’s Net Worth?

Joanna Lumley, a British actress and producer, has amassed a net worth of $25 million. She is most recognized for her portrayal of Patsy Stone on the beloved BBC sitcom “Absolutely Fabulous,” which earned her two BAFTA TV Awards. In addition to her successful acting career, Lumley is an ardent human rights activist who supports various charities and animal welfare organizations.

Early Life and Career

Joanna Lumley was born in 1946 in Srinagar, India, to an English mother and Indian-born father with English and Scottish heritage. She decided to stay in England at the age of eight and attended Mickledene School in Kent and later St. Mary’s Convent School. After being rejected by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she attended the Lucie Clayton Finishing School in London. Lumley worked as a model for three years, including for portrait photographer Brian Duffy and designer Jean Muir. Her acting career began in 1969 with an uncredited role in “Some Girls Do” and as a Bond girl in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” She also had brief appearances on “Coronation Street” and in “The Satanic Rites of Dracula.”

Joanna Lumley’s Career Highlights

Joanna Lumley landed her first major role as Purdey in “The New Avengers” in 1976. She was also cast in the supernatural series “Sapphire & Steel” in 1979. Lumley’s most notable role came in the BBC comedy series “Absolutely Fabulous” where she starred as Patsy Stone from 1992 to 2012. The show won multiple TV honors and was adapted into a movie in 2016. Lumley was nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA in 1999 for her role in the BBC TV movie “A Rather English Marriage.” She also provided her voice to animated projects such as “The Foxbusters,” “Corpse Bride,” and “James and the Giant Peach.” Beyond TV and movies, Lumley appeared in the Broadway revival of “La Bête” and earned a Tony Award nomination in 2011.

Joanna Lumley’s Travelogue Series

Joanna Lumley, in addition to acting, has produced and presented numerous travelogue series in partnership with ITV. Her series include “Joanna Lumley’s Nile,” which saw her journey up the Nile in Rwanda in 2010, “Joanna Lumley’s Greek Odyssey,” where she took viewers on a tour of Greece, and “Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure,” which involved a 6,400-mile trek from Hong Kong to Moscow. Other series focused on Japan, the Silk Road trade route, and the search for Noah’s Ark.

Joanna Lumley’s Advocacy Work

Joanna Lumley is known for her advocacy on behalf of various oppressed groups, including the Gurkhas, the Khonds indigenous community of India, and the exiled people of Tibet. In 2008, she became the face of the Gurkha Justice Campaign, fighting for Nepalese-origin Gurkha veterans’ right to settle in the UK.

Lumley supports human rights organization Survival International, narrating the group’s documentary “Mine: Story of a Sacred Mountain” and contributing her writing to the book “We Are One: A Celebration of Tribal Peoples.” She is a patron of various charity organizations, including Population Matters, Tree Aid, Earth Restoration Service, Born Free Foundation, and Book Aid International.

Due to her advocacy work, the Lumley Research Fellowship was established at the University of Oxford’s Green College in 1996. The fellowship is designed for a young scholar researching environmental issues in Africa.

Personal Life of Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley had a son, James, with partner Michael Claydon in 1967. She married actor Jeremy Lloyd in 1970 and divorced him later that same year. In 1986, she married opera conductor Stephen Barlow. The couple currently resides in London and owns a cottage in the Southern Uplands of Scotland.

Joanna Lumley’s Honors and Awards

Joanna Lumley is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has been granted honorary degrees from the University of Kent, University of St. Andrews, Oxford Brookes University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Chester. In 1995, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen.

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