Robert Donat Biography

Robert Donat

Prominent British leading man with mellifluous voice who began his career on the state at age 16 then switched to film. He came to the world's attention in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and was introduced to American audiences in The Count of Monte Cristo (1934). He returned to England and made other films, such as his Oscar-winning performance in Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939), The Cure for Love (1949), which he also directed and produced, and his final film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958). He died of asthma and bronchia problems before the film's release. He was married to the British actress Renee Asherson.