Renee Asherson
Encyclopedia
Renée Asherson born Dorothy Renée Ascherson, is an English
actress of stage, film and television.
Much of Asherson's theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic
, the Liverpool Playhouse
and the Westminster Theatre
. Her first stage appearance was on 17 October 1935, aged 20, and her first major film appearance was in the 1944 film The Way Ahead
. Her most recent film appearance was in 2001's The Others
, directed by Alejandro Amenábar
.
to Jewish parents, Charles Stephen Ascherson and Dorothy Lilian Ascherson (née Wiseman). She was brought up in Gerards Cross and in Switzerland
and Anjou
, and later trained for the stage at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
.
, with whom she had appeared in The Magic Box
, from 1953 until his death in 1958. They had no children.
in John Gielgud
's production of Romeo and Juliet
, though she was also the second understudy
for Juliet Capulet
. For eighteen months from 1937 through 1938, Asherson was a member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
company. She first appeared at the Old Vic
theatre 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 The Life and Death of King John. Asherson appeared at the New Theatre
as Blanche in July 1941 before resuming her tour with the Old Vic company.
In 1942, Asherson continued her work in Shakespearean plays at three theaters: the New Theatre, the Liverpool Playhouse
, and the Westminster Theatre
. The following year, she appeared in two non-Shakespearean roles: Henriette Duquesnoy in The Mask of Virtue at the Mercury Theatre
and Rose in Lottie Dundass at the Vaudeville Theatre
. She returned to the New Theatre for the 1947–1948 season, appearing in such roles as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew
, The Queen in Richard II
, and Marya Antonovna in Nikolai Gogol
's The Government Inspector. Other venues at which Asherson has appeared include the Apollo Theatre
in 1956, the Criterion Theatre
also in 1956, St Martin's Theatre
in 1962, the Savoy Theatre
in 1963 and 1977, and the York Theatre Royal
in 1973 and 1976.
as Marjorie Gillingham. In her second film appearance, she drew from her experience as a Shakespearean actress as she played Princess Katherine in Laurence Olivier
's film adaption of Henry V
. Also, in 1945, Asherson played Iris in The Way to the Stars
(starring John Mills). In 1952, Asherson appeared in the British Academy Award-nominated film The Magic Box
alongside Robert Donat
, whom she would later marry. In 1973, Asherson appeared in the Douglas Hickox
horror film Theater of Blood. Asherson made an appearance in the 1999 award-winning Grey Owl
. Asherson's last-known film appearance came two years later in the role of the "Old Lady" in Alejandro Amenábar
's 2001 film The Others
.
in 1939. In 1952, Asherson portrayed Queen Victoria in the BBC
drama series Happy and Glorious. From 1953 through 1956, she appeared in five episodes of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents
.
In 1978, Asherson portrayed Mother Ancilla in the Quiet as a Nun series of Armchair Thriller
. Asherson was interviewed in the series The British Greats in 1980. In 1981, Asherson played the role of Sylvia Ashburton in the first season of Tenko
.
In 1985 Miss Asherson played Dora Bunner in 'A Murder is Announced', the third of the BBC television 'Miss Marple' stories, starring Joan Hickson. In 1997, she played Emily Simpson in 'The Killings at Badger's Drift', the first episode in the long running Midsomer Murders
series.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress of stage, film and television.
Much of Asherson's theatrical career was spent in Shakespearean plays, appearing at such venues as the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
, the Liverpool Playhouse
Liverpool Playhouse
The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses, some of which went on to achieve...
and the Westminster Theatre
Westminster Theatre
The Westminster Theatre was a London theatre, on Palace Street in Westminster. It was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, which was altered and given a new frontage for use as a cinema from 1924 onwards. It finally became a theatre in 1931 after radical alterations...
. Her first stage appearance was on 17 October 1935, aged 20, and her first major film appearance was in the 1944 film The Way Ahead
The Way Ahead
The Way Ahead is a British Second World War drama released in 1944. It stars David Niven and Stanley Holloway and follows a group of civilians who are conscripted into the British Army to fight in North Africa. In the U.S., an edited version was released as The Immortal Battalion.The film was...
. Her most recent film appearance was in 2001's The Others
The Others (2001 film)
The Others is a 2001 psychological horror film by the Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. It is inspired partly by the novella The Turn of the Screw....
, directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos is a Spanish- Chilean film director. Amenábar was born in Santiago, Chile to a Spanish mother and Chilean father, but the family moved to Spain just one year after his birth...
.
Early life and education
She was born Dorothy Renée Ascherson in Kensington, London, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Jewish parents, Charles Stephen Ascherson and Dorothy Lilian Ascherson (née Wiseman). She was brought up in Gerards Cross and in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
, and later trained for the stage at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehensive training for those intending to pursue a...
.
Marriage
She was married to fellow actor Robert DonatRobert Donat
Robert Donat was an English film and stage actor. He is best-known for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr...
, with whom she had appeared in The Magic Box
The Magic Box
The Magic Box is a fictional magic shop in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon. It is located in Sunnydale and was last owned and operated by Rupert Giles, and served as the primary headquarters of the Scooby Gang for seasons five and six.-Ownership history:The shop went...
, from 1953 until his death in 1958. They had no children.
Theatre
Asherson made her first stage appearance on 17 October 1935, as a walk-onExtra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
's production of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, though she was also the second understudy
Understudy
In theater, an understudy is a performer who learns the lines and blocking/choreography of a regular actor or actress in a play. Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage because of illness or emergencies, the understudy takes over the part...
for Juliet Capulet
Juliet Capulet
Juliet is one of the title characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the other being Romeo. She is the daughter of old Capulet, head of the house of Capulet. The story has a long history that precedes Shakespeare himself....
. For eighteen months from 1937 through 1938, Asherson was a member of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
company. She first appeared at the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
theatre in May 1940 as Iris in The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. Asherson toured with the Old Vic company from 1940 through 1941 in the roles of Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer
She Stoops to Conquer is a comedy by the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, son of an Anglo-Irish vicar, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a great favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in Britain and the United States. It is one of the few plays from the 18th...
, Maria in Twelfth Night, Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
, and Blanche in The Life and Death of King John. Asherson appeared at the New Theatre
Noël Coward Theatre
The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre on St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's Theatre which was completed in 1899. The building was designed by...
as Blanche in July 1941 before resuming her tour with the Old Vic company.
In 1942, Asherson continued her work in Shakespearean plays at three theaters: the New Theatre, the Liverpool Playhouse
Liverpool Playhouse
The Liverpool Playhouse is a theatre in Williamson Square in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It originated in 1866 as a music hall, and in 1911 developed into a repertory theatre. As such it nurtured the early careers of many actors and actresses, some of which went on to achieve...
, and the Westminster Theatre
Westminster Theatre
The Westminster Theatre was a London theatre, on Palace Street in Westminster. It was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, which was altered and given a new frontage for use as a cinema from 1924 onwards. It finally became a theatre in 1931 after radical alterations...
. The following year, she appeared in two non-Shakespearean roles: Henriette Duquesnoy in The Mask of Virtue at the Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre, Notting Hill Gate
The Mercury Theatre was a small theatre in Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill Gate, London, notable for the productions of poetic dramas between 1933 and 1956, and as the home of the Ballet Rambert until 1987.- History :...
and Rose in Lottie Dundass at the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
. She returned to the New Theatre for the 1947–1948 season, appearing in such roles as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
, The Queen in Richard II
Richard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
, and Marya Antonovna in Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Ukrainian-born Russian dramatist and novelist.Considered by his contemporaries one of the preeminent figures of the natural school of Russian literary realism, later critics have found in Gogol's work a fundamentally romantic sensibility, with strains of Surrealism...
's The Government Inspector. Other venues at which Asherson has appeared include the Apollo Theatre
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. Designed by architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfield, and the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street, its doors opened on 21 February 1901 with the American...
in 1956, the Criterion Theatre
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
also in 1956, St Martin's Theatre
St Martin's Theatre
St Martin's Theatre is a West End theatre, located in West Street, near Charing Cross Road, in the London Borough of Camden. It was designed as one of a pair of theatres with the Ambassadors Theatre by W.G.R...
in 1962, the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
in 1963 and 1977, and the York Theatre Royal
York Theatre Royal
The York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold...
in 1973 and 1976.
Film
Asherson's first major film appearance was in the 1944 Second World War film The Way AheadThe Way Ahead
The Way Ahead is a British Second World War drama released in 1944. It stars David Niven and Stanley Holloway and follows a group of civilians who are conscripted into the British Army to fight in North Africa. In the U.S., an edited version was released as The Immortal Battalion.The film was...
as Marjorie Gillingham. In her second film appearance, she drew from her experience as a Shakespearean actress as she played Princess Katherine in Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
's film adaption of Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
. Also, in 1945, Asherson played Iris in The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars, also known as Johnny in the Clouds, is a 1945 British war drama film made by Two Cities Films and released by United Artists. It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald and directed by Anthony Asquith...
(starring John Mills). In 1952, Asherson appeared in the British Academy Award-nominated film The Magic Box
The Magic Box
The Magic Box is a fictional magic shop in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon. It is located in Sunnydale and was last owned and operated by Rupert Giles, and served as the primary headquarters of the Scooby Gang for seasons five and six.-Ownership history:The shop went...
alongside Robert Donat
Robert Donat
Robert Donat was an English film and stage actor. He is best-known for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and Goodbye, Mr...
, whom she would later marry. In 1973, Asherson appeared in the Douglas Hickox
Douglas Hickox
Douglas Hickox was an English film director. Hickox was born in London, where he was educated at Emanuel School. Hickox worked extensively as an assistant director and second unit director throughout the 50's and early 60's, making his first major picture in 1970...
horror film Theater of Blood. Asherson made an appearance in the 1999 award-winning Grey Owl
Grey Owl (film)
Grey Owl is a 1998 biopic directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Pierce Brosnan in the role of real life British schoolboy turned Indian trapper "Grey Owl," Archibald Belaney , and Annie Galipeau as his wife Anahareo. With brief appearances by Graham Greene and others. The screenplay was...
. Asherson's last-known film appearance came two years later in the role of the "Old Lady" in Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos is a Spanish- Chilean film director. Amenábar was born in Santiago, Chile to a Spanish mother and Chilean father, but the family moved to Spain just one year after his birth...
's 2001 film The Others
The Others (2001 film)
The Others is a 2001 psychological horror film by the Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. It is inspired partly by the novella The Turn of the Screw....
.
Television
Renée Asherson has also had an extensive career in television. Her first television appearance was in the role of Sybil in Smiling at GriefSmiling at Grief
Smiling At Grief is a studio album released by UK neo-progressive band Twelfth Night in 1982.-Details:Smiling At Grief comprised Twelfth Night's first recording with vocalist Geoff Mann. The album was recorded at Woodcray Manor Farm Studios, Berkshire....
in 1939. In 1952, Asherson portrayed Queen Victoria in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama series Happy and Glorious. From 1953 through 1956, she appeared in five episodes of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, is a 1950s syndicated anthology series hosted and occasionally starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.. The series offered Buster Keaton in his first dramatic role in the episode entitled "The Awakening". British actor Christopher Lee appeared in varied role in thirteen...
.
In 1978, Asherson portrayed Mother Ancilla in the Quiet as a Nun series of Armchair Thriller
Armchair Thriller
Armchair Thriller is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in two series in 1978 and 1980. Owing something to some of the off-shoots of the earlier Armchair Theatre, the new series used scripts adapted from published novels and stories. Although not properly a horror series it included...
. Asherson was interviewed in the series The British Greats in 1980. In 1981, Asherson played the role of Sylvia Ashburton in the first season of Tenko
Tenko
Tenko may refer to:*Tenko , a BBC television drama*Princess Tenko, a Japanese magician, upon whom the cartoon Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic was based...
.
In 1985 Miss Asherson played Dora Bunner in 'A Murder is Announced', the third of the BBC television 'Miss Marple' stories, starring Joan Hickson. In 1997, she played Emily Simpson in 'The Killings at Badger's Drift', the first episode in the long running Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
series.