Jane Asher

Infobox actor


caption =
birthname = Jane Asher
birthdate = birth date and age|1946|4|5|df=yes
birthplace = Marylebone, London, England
occupation = Actress
yearsactive = 1952–present
spouse = Gerald Scarfe (1981–present)
children = Katie (b.1974), Alex (b.1981) and Rory (b.1984).

Jane Asher (born 5 April 1946) is an English actress, who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television career. She is known for her starring role as the main character "Faith Ashley" in the 1987 British TV drama "Wish Me Luck", and for her red hair, a characteristic of all three Asher children. She has appeared in numerous film and television dramas.

Early life

Asher was the second of three children born to Dr. Richard Alan John and Margaret Asher, "née" Eliot, in Willesden, north-west London GRO REgister of Births: JUN 1946 3a 765 WILLESDEN, mmn = Eliot] . Her father was a consultant in blood and mental diseases at the Central Middlesex hospital in Acton, West London as well as being a broadcaster and author of many notable medical articles; her mother was a professor of oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and taught George Martin to play the instrument. She also taught Paul McCartney to play the recorder. Jane was educated at Queen's College in Harley Street, LondonCite book | author=Harry, Bill| authorlink= | coauthors= | title=The Beatles Encyclopaedia (2000 paperback edition; first published 1992) | date=2000 | publisher=Virgin Publishing, London W6 9HA | location=London | isbn=0-7535-0481-2 | pages=403] ; her older brother is record producer Peter Asher, formerly one half of the duo Peter & Gordon; her younger sister is the radio actress Clare Asher.

Asher's first appearance as a child actress was as Nina in the 1952 film "Mandy". Other film appearances were the 1955 science fiction film "The Quatermass Xperiment", and, co-starring with Kenneth More and Susannah York, in the 1961 UK film "The Greengage Summer", which was subsequently released in the United States under the title "Loss of Innocence". She also appeared as her distant relative Lady Jane Grey in the 1962 film and Disney TV programme, "The Prince and the Pauper". British TV appearances included three episodes (1956–1958) of the British TV series, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (working alongside her brother Peter), and as a panellist on the BBC's "Juke Box Jury".

Relationship with Paul McCartney

In 1963, Asher interviewed The Beatles. A photographer for the BBC's "Radio Times" asked them to pose with Asher Miles. p102.] . Asher subsequently commenced a five-year relationship with McCartney, getting engaged in 1967."McCartney's lament: I can't buy your love," "Sydney Morning Herald", 12 June 2004 ( [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/11/1086749891275.html?from=storyrhs link] )] She inspired many of McCartney's songs, such as "All My Loving," "And I Love Her," "I'm Looking Through You," "You Won't See Me," "We Can Work It Out," "Here, There and Everywhere," and "For No One" (all credited as Lennon/McCartney). Lennon/McCartney penned the number one hit "A World Without Love" for her brother Peter.

McCartney stayed in the Asher family home at 57 Wimpole Street from 1964-66 and wrote several Beatles songs there. [Citation
first = Graham
last = Vickers
title = Rock Music Landmarks of London
year = 2001
publisher = Omnibus Press
isbn = 0711986754 (can be seen at http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZYU3euLYMAgC)] He wrote in a room usually used for music lessons. The Asher house was also a place of intellectual stimulation for McCartney. He enjoyed the rarefied atmosphere of upper-middle class conversation and company that the house afforded, and to which he aspired. [Bob Spitz, "The Beatles"] According to Cynthia Lennon, McCartney was "as proud as a peacock" to have Jane as a girlfriend, Lennon (1978)] and saw her as "a great prize." Miles. p103.] Marianne Faithfull remembered McCartney and Asher "never getting on very well," and described one evening at Cavendish Avenue when McCartney wanted a window to be open and Asher wanted it shut. McCartney would repeatedly get up and open the window and then Asher would get up and close it, although neither of them made any comment about it during the whole evening. Miles. p453.]

McCartney did not stop having one-night stands with other women during his time with Asher, because he felt that since they were not married, it was allowed. Miles. pp142-143] On 25 December 1967, McCartney and Asher announced their engagement, and she accompanied McCartney to India in February and March 1968. Asher broke off the engagement in early 1968, after coming back from Bristol to find Paul in bed with another woman, Francie Schwartz Miles 1998. p452] . They attempted to mend the relationship, but finally broke it off in July 1968. Asher has consistently refused to publicly discuss McCartney or her time with him, [Mitchison, Amanda 2005-10-03). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/10/03/ftjane03.xml Butter wouldn't melt. "The Daily Telegraph"] telegraph.co.uk - Retrieved 7 May 2007.] and has maintained her position on the matter to this day. ["Butter wouldn't melt", "The Daily Telegraph", 3 October 2005 ( [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/10/03/ftjane03.xml&sSheet=/arts/2005/10/04/ixartright.html link] )] On this basis, she is described by the Beatles' 1968 biographer Hunter Davies as the only major Beatles associate not to have published her recollections.

Acting

Asher appeared in Roger Corman's "The Masque of the Red Death", "Alfie", opposite Michael Caine, and in Jerzy Skolimowski's "Deep End". Thereafter, she was more commonly seen on television: "The Stone Tape"; "Rumpole of the Bailey"; "Brideshead Revisited"; as Faith Ashley, "A Voyage Round My Father" opposite Laurence Olivier; "Wish Me Luck" (three series in 1987–89); "The Mistress" (1985–87); "Crossroads" Mark III (2003) as hotel owner Angel Samson. Although the series was unpopular with die-hard Crossroads fans, and only lasted a matter of months, the sharp-tongued wit of Mrs Samson and brilliant acting from Asher made the part a huge success.Fact|date=June 2008

She guest-starred in an episode of the British television comedy series "The Goodies" in the episode "Punky Business", as a trend setting newspaper writer, patterned on the punk journalist Caroline Coon alias Caroline Kook. In 1994, she portrayed the "Doctor Who" companion Susan Foreman in a BBC Radio 4 comedy drama "Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman?". Another notable radio appearance was in "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in 2002, in the episode "The Peculiar Persecution of Mr John Vincent Harden". She starred in "The World's Biggest Diamond", by Gregory Motton, at the Royal Court Theatre in 2005. In 2006 Asher starred in the Richard Fell adaptation of the 1960s science fiction series "A for Andromeda", which aired on the British digital television station BBC Four. More recently in 2007, she portrayed the widow Sandra in the 2007 Frank Oz film "Death at a Funeral". Asher appeared in the BBC medical Drama, "Holby City" as Lady Byrne. In October 2007, she played Andrea Yates in a story in "The Sarah Jane Adventures", in the episode "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?" She is currently appearing in the ITV drama series "The Palace", filmed in Lithuania; she is set to play Queen Charlotte, the mother of King Richard IV. "The Palace" broadcasts on ITV1 at 9pm every Monday for eight weeks, beginning on the 14 January 2008.

In August 2008 Asher appeared in the reality tv talent show-themed television series, "Maestro on BBC Two.cite press release
title = Eight passionate amateurs bid to become BBC Two's Maestro
publisher = BBC
date = 2008-05-23
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/23/maestro.shtml
accessdate = 2008-05-24]

Marriage and later career

Asher met the illustrator Gerald Scarfe in 1971, and they married ten years later [GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1981 13 1708 KENSINGTON & CHELSEA - Scarfe = Asher] . They have three children - Katie (b.1974), Alex (b.1981) and Rory (b.1984).

Now well known as an author, Asher has written three best-selling novels: "The Longing, The Question" and "Losing It". She has also had more than a dozen lifestyle, costuming, and cake decorating books published. Asher runs a company making party cakes and sugarcrafts for special occasions, and still acts on television and in the theatre.

She is a shareholder in "Private Eye", President of Arthritis Care and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association. She is also President of the National Autistic Society, in which she takes an active role. She was also a speaker at the launch of the National Autistic Society's "Make School Make Sense" campaign alongside Joshua Muggleton (ASD speaker/writer). She is also President of the Parkinson's Disease Society.

In summer, 2008, Asher participated in the BBC's Maestro series where eight well-known show business personalities competed for the "prize" of conducting during Proms in the Park. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/maestro/episodes/baton-camp/ BBC Maestro] ]

References

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External links

* [http://www.janeasher.com/right.php Jane Asher biog]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdRgDOkM43E Jane Asher and Paul McCartney 1963 - 1968 on You Tube]
*imdb name|0038870|Jane Asher

Persondata
NAME=Asher, Jane
SHORT DESCRIPTION=actress, author
DATE OF BIRTH=April 5, 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH=Willesden, London