Renée Asherson

Dorothy Renée Ascherson (19 May 1915 – 30 October 2014), Her father was of German-Jewish extraction. She was brought up in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, as well as Switzerland and Anjou. She later trained for the stage at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career Theatre Asherson made her first stage appearance on 17 October 1935, as a walk-on in John Gielgud's production of Romeo and Juliet, though she was also the second understudy for Juliet. For eighteen months from 1937 through 1938, Asherson was a member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre company. She first appeared at The Old Vic in May 1940 as Iris in The Tempest. Asherson toured with the Old Vic company from 1940 through 1941 in the roles of Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, Maria in Twelfth Night, Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice, and Blanche in King John. Asherson appeared at the New Theatre as Blanche in July 1941 before resuming her tour with the Old Vic company. Laurence Olivier wanted her to join his company at The Old Vic, but she chose to continue working with Donat instead. She played Dora Bunner in the 1985 Miss Marple episode, A Murder Is Announced. In 1989, she played Mrs Bartholomew Tom's Midnight Garden. In 1992 she played Charmian Colston in Muriel Spark's Memento Mori. Asherton played murder victim Emily Simpson in the first episode of Midsomer Murders in 1997.

Personal life Asherson's nephew is the journalist Neal Ascherson.

In 1953 Asherson moved to 8 The Grove, Highgate upon her marriage to fellow actor Robert Donat, separating before his death five years later.

Asherson died in Primrose Hill, London

Filmography