Five-Time Tony Nominee Jan Maxwell Is Dead at 61

Mutli-talented performer Jan Maxwell has died following a battle with cancer. The actress, who appeared in 13 Broadway shows and garnered five Tony Award nominations (in all four possible acting categories), was 61.

Maxwell made her Broadway debut in 1989 in City of Angels. After performing back to back Broadway roles in the 2009-2010 season in The Royal Family and Lend Me a Tenor, Maxwell became one of the few actresses in history to be nominated for two Tonys Awards in the same year. She was also nominated for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Coram Boy and her last performance on Broadway in the 2011 revival of Follies. Her other memorable credits included Dancing at Lughnasa, The Sound of Music, A Doll’s House and more. Her numerous off-Broadway credits included The City of Conversation, Wings, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, The Bald Soprano and the Lesson, House, Garden and more. 

The actress announced her retirement from the theater in 2015. At the time, Maxwell told Time Out New York: “The kinds of roles I was being offered were just…I’d been there and done that, and I just didn’t want to do that anymore. If I could do television and film just to keep the health insurance going, that would be great. But I don’t know if that will happen."

Maxwell is survived by her husband, Robert Emmet Lunney, and their son, Will Maxwell-Lunney.