Roy Hodges: the facts about Glenda Jackson’s first husband
Roy Hodges was a British theatre professional and the only man Glenda Jackson ever married. They wed in 1958, had one son, the journalist Dan Hodges, and divorced in 1976. He died in 2017, six years before Jackson.
That last point matters, because several pages ranking for his name still describe him in the present tense and calculate his current age. If you have read that Roy Hodges is in his late eighties, you have read a page that never checked.
Roy Hodges: quick facts
| Detail | What’s documented |
|---|---|
| Born | 1936 or 1937, United Kingdom |
| Died | 2017, reported as 14 June |
| Profession | Actor and stage manager, later in the art trade |
| Married | Glenda Jackson, 2 August 1958 |
| Wedding venue | St Marylebone Register Office, London |
| Divorced | 1976, one source gives 26 January |
| Marriage length | 18 years |
| Child | Dan Hodges, born 1969 |
| Net worth | No figure ever published |
Is Roy Hodges still alive?
No. He died in 2017.
The clearest evidence is from his son. Dan Hodges posted publicly at the time to explain his absence, telling followers his father had died the previous day and that he would be back shortly. Coverage published around Glenda Jackson’s death in June 2023 also notes that her former husband had died roughly six years earlier, which lines up.
Despite that, this is what page one currently offers:
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| One 2026 page | Gives his age as “around late 80s” |
| Another | States he is 89 years old |
| Two more | Use the present tense throughout |
| One | Lists a 2017 death date |
Four pages describe a man who has been dead for nine years as living. That is the most serious error a biography page can make, and it is sitting on the first page of results for his name right now.
His death drew no independent press coverage. It surfaced publicly only through his son’s message and, later, in passing within tributes to Jackson.
The marriage to Glenda Jackson
They met in the late 1950s in repertory theatre. Jackson had trained at RADA and was scrabbling for work. Hodges was already working in the same world.
Repertory was a hard, close-quarters business. A company would mount a different production every week or fortnight, rehearsing one play by day while performing another at night. Actors and stage staff toured together, lodged together and worked punishing hours. Relationships formed inside those companies constantly, because there was no life outside them to speak of.
They married on 2 August 1958 at St Marylebone Register Office in London, and stayed married for 18 years. Jackson never remarried.
Their son Dan was born in 1969, the same period in which Jackson filmed Women in Love — she was pregnant with him during production. That film won her the first of two Academy Awards for Best Actress.
Why the marriage ended
Most pages call the separation amicable and leave it there. There is a better source.
Chris Bryant, the Labour MP who wrote a biography of Jackson, recorded that the relationship broke down because Hodges felt emasculated by his wife’s success. That is a named biographer making a specific claim, and it is more use than a vague word like amicable.
The timing supports it. Jackson won her first Oscar in 1971 and her second in 1974. The divorce came through in 1976.
Jackson herself said little about it over the years. One line from her, quoted in obituaries, gives the flavour: “Men are awfully hard work for very little reward.”
His career, and why sources can’t agree on it
This is worth setting out, because the descriptions genuinely differ depending on where you look.
| Source | How it describes him |
|---|---|
| Obituary coverage of Jackson | Actor and stage manager |
| IMDb’s biography of Dan Hodges | Theatre director turned art gallery owner |
| A film history site | Stage actor and designer |
| Celebrity biography pages | Actor, stage manager, art dealer |
The common ground is solid enough. He worked in British repertory theatre through the 1950s to 1970s, on stage and behind it, and moved into the art world later. Whether that later work was owning a gallery or dealing privately isn’t settled, and “art dealer” looks like a softened version of IMDb’s “art gallery owner.”
No production credits, company names, or gallery names appear anywhere. He left no public professional record beyond these one-line descriptions.
Dan Hodges
The son is the reason the name still gets searched.
Dan Hodges is a political columnist, best known for writing in the Mail on Sunday, and known for positions that frequently broke from his mother’s Labour politics. He grew up with an actress and future MP on one side and a theatre professional on the other.
He lost the sight in his left eye in 1992 while intervening in a racist incident in a bar. He was 23.
His parents divorced when he was six or seven. Neither of them ever discussed the marriage in detail in public, and he has largely followed suit.
What isn’t verified about Roy Hodges
- His exact birth year. Most pages say June 1936. At least one says 1937. Nobody sources either.
- His birthplace. “United Kingdom” is as specific as anyone gets. One page writes “likely the UK,” which is not a fact.
- A net worth. No figure has ever been published, and the pages that admit this are the honest ones.
- A Butlin’s holiday camp job. One page has Jackson working there as a Bluecoat and Hodges as a Redcoat. Bluecoats worked for Pontins, not Butlin’s, and no source supports the claim.
- The nature of his art business. Gallery owner and dealer are both in circulation with no documentation either way.
- Any detail of his life after 1976. Forty-one years, and nothing on the record.
Frequently asked questions
Who was he?
A British actor and stage manager who married Glenda Jackson in 1958 and later worked in the art world.
Is he dead or alive?
Yes. He died in 2017, reported as 14 June, six years before Glenda Jackson.
How long was the marriage?
Eighteen years, from August 1958 to their divorce in 1976.
Why did they divorce?
Her biographer Chris Bryant recorded that Hodges felt emasculated by her success. Neither of them discussed it publicly.
Did Glenda Jackson remarry?
No. Roy Hodges was her only husband.
Who is his son?
Dan Hodges, a political columnist who writes for the Mail on Sunday.
What was his net worth?
Unknown. No figure has ever been published, and any you find online is invented.
Final Words
The reason to get this page right is simple. A man died in 2017, and a search for his name today returns several confident pages telling you how old he is now.
The documented life is short. Repertory theatre in the fifties and sixties. Eighteen years married to one of the finest actresses Britain produced. A son who went into newspapers. Four decades of privacy afterwards. That’s enough without inventing the rest.
JacksonPadilla is a writer at Around Celebrities, covering celebrity families, relationships, biographies, and the stories behind the stars. With a focus on clear and engaging storytelling, Kole helps readers discover the people and connections beyond the spotlight.
