Distinguished British actor (of Polish descent) with an inimitably melodious voice; he made some impressive films despite asthma, which blighted his career
Mini Biography
Meticulous in his approach, Robert Donat used to draw a graph of the emotional pitch of a role, and for a part that covered a considerable amount of time – as in Goodbye, Mr Chips – a graph showing the changes in his age and appearance.
Donat’s second wife was actress Renee Asherson (1953-56). He was emotionally involved with actresses Merle Oberon, Pearl Argyle, Elissa Landi, Madeline Carroll and Rosamund John.