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- "Love Actually" Actress Joanna "Jo" Bacon Dies at 72</p>
<p>Tommy McArdleJuly 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM</p>
<p>David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage</p>
<p>Joanna Bacon on Oct. 16, 2021</p>
<p>Joanna "Jo" Bacon, who memorably played Martine McCutcheon's onscreen mother in 2003's Love Actually, has died at 72</p>
<p>The United Kingdom-based Harlow Theatre Company announced Bacon's death in a recent statement, noting that she died on June 14 "following a short and brave battle with cancer"</p>
<p>"Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor," the theatre company wrote</p>
<p>Joanna "Jo" Bacon, the actress perhaps best known for her memorable role in 2003's Love Actually and the FX series Breeders, has died. She was 72.</p>
<p>United Kingdom-based Harlow Theatre Company announced in a recent statement that Bacon, a longtime member of the theatre company, died on June 14 "following a short and brave battle against cancer."</p>
<p>"Many of our members will remember Jo and her force of nature, her wit, her fun, her passion and her natural ability as an actor," the theatre company wrote in a statement. "She became a member of Harlow Theatre Company at its inception in 1978. She appeared in many plays in iconic roles such as Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Maddie in Dirty Linen and Beverly in Abigail's Party, along with reviews, musicals and pantomimes all at the Harlow Playhouse."</p>
<p>Universal Pictures</p>
<p>Joanna Bacon (left) in Love Actually</p>
<p>Bacon appeared in 49 onscreen roles between 1991 and 2024. She made her screen acting debut in 1991 episodes of the series Perfect Scoundrels and Minders and made her film debut in 2001's Last Orders. In 2003's Love Actually, Bacon portrayed the mother of Martine McCutcheon's character Natalie - the ensemble Christmas-themed romantic comedy involves a plotline that sees McCutcheon's character fall in love with Hugh Grant's character David, the U.K. prime minister.</p>
<p>As the Harlow Theatre Company noted in its statement, Bacon achieved "considerable success" as a professional actor after leaving her job at a publishing company. "Her first job was as Jane in Nell Dunn's Steaming at The Dukes Theatre in Lancaster and an early film appearance was as Natalie's mum in Love Actually," the statement read. "Jo went on to appear at, amongst others, Hampstead Theatre, The Sheffield Crucible, Stratford East and the National Theatre. She popped up on our televisions many times in various drama series. Her most notable role lately was as Jackie in four series of Breeders and as Phylis in Moonflower Murders with Lesley Manville. Her next job was to be a character in Sharon Morgan's next series Mandy."</p>
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<p>Mark Johnson / FX / Courtesy Everett</p>
<p>Joanna Bacon and Alum Armstrong in 'Breeders'</p>
<p>Outside of the television series Breeders, Bacon most recently appeared in the 2021 movies She Will, Benediction and Mourning Sickness. Her last onscreen credit came for six episodes of the 2024 crime miniseries Moonflower Murders.</p>
<p>"Jo will be sadly missed and fondly remembered. She continued to support HTC attending many of our productions," Harlow Theatre Company's statement added. "She would settle herself in the front row with a notebook and watched with a critical eye and her passion for theatre. She never forgot to praise our work. Thank you, Jo."</p>
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