Photo: Trailer screenshot / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Robert Donat embodies, for me, the gold standard of the gracious English screen actor. His sharp charm in Hitchcock's The 39 Steps is delightful, but it's Goodbye, Mr. Chips that defines him, the gentle schoolmaster who won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1939, the same year he beat Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, which says everything about that achievement. Born in Withington near Manchester, he had an extraordinary voice and a natural dignity. That he died at 53, battling chronic asthma, makes his slim filmography all the more precious. He reminds me that quiet, humane performances are the ones that last.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Robert Donat
- Name (Japanese)
- ロバート・ドーナット
- Reading
- ろばーと・どーなっと
- Born
- March 18, 1905 – June 9, 1958
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Snake
- Origin
- Withington, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film actor / character actor / stage actor / film director / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1940 Academy Award for Best Actor
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Robert Donat born?
March 18, 1905 – June 9, 1958.
Where is Robert Donat from?
Robert Donat is from Withington, United Kingdom.
What does Robert Donat do?
Robert Donat works as film actor, character actor, stage actor, film director, actor.
Film actor — see all → · Character actor — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.