Contents
Peggy Ashcroft
Combining a major Shakespearean stage career with acclaimed screen performances.
Othello · A Passage to India
- Born
- 22 December 1907
- Birthplace
- Surrey
- Died
- 14 June 1991
More people
Peggy Ashcroft
Peggy Ashcroft was an English actor whose career spanned more than sixty years.
Early life
Drama school
Enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama at sixteen and graduated in 1927.
Career
- 1929
West End
Won attention in Jew Süss.
- 1930s
Ensemble theatre
Worked at the Old Vic and with John Gielgud’s companies.
- Later career
Stage and screen
Worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre before major television and film roles.
Selected work
Othello
Played Desdemona opposite Paul Robeson.
A Passage to India
Played Mrs Moore, earning an Academy Award.
Beyond work
Political awakening
Spoke of the racism directed at her production with Robeson as a formative political experience.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
Photo: Culver Pictures, New York. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.