06 Feb 2024, 00:00

Ronald Colman Quick Info
Height5 ft 10 in
Weight71 kg
Date of BirthFebruary 9, 1891
Zodiac SignAquarius
Date of DeathMay 19, 1958

Ronald Colman was a talented English actor who began his career with silent films, but successfully transitioned to talkies in the 1930s. He appeared in several acclaimed films including A Tale of Two Cities (1935), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Random Harvest (1942), If I Were King (1938), Lost Horizon (1937), Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934), Under Two Flags (1936), A Double Life (1947), the latter of which earned him the Academy Award for ‘Best Actor’ in 1948.

Born Name

Ronald Charles Colman

Nick Name

Ronnie

Age

He was born on February 9, 1891.

Died

He passed away from acute emphysema on May 19, 1958, in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of 67 years.

Sun Sign

Aquarius

Born Place

Richmond, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Nationality

English

Occupation

Actor

Family

  • Father – Charles Colman (Silk Merchant)
  • Mother – Marjory Read Fraser
  • Siblings – Gladys Colman (Sister), Edith Colman (Sister), Eric Colman (Older Brother), Freda Colman (Sister). He had one more older brother who died in infancy in 1882.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 10 in or 178 cm

Weight

71 kg or 156.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Ronald Colman had dated –

  • Thelma Raye (1919-1934) – The Kismet (1944) actor tied the knot with Thelma Raye on September 18, 1920. However, the couple got divorced on August 1, 1934, after nearly 15 years together.
  • Marlene Dietrich (1920)
  • Merle Oberon (1942)
  • Shelley Winters (1947)
  • Lupe Velez
  • Mary Astor
  • Benita Hume (1937-1958) – On September 30, 1938, Colman married actress Benita Hume. The couple had welcomed a daughter together named Juliet Benita Colman (b. July 24, 1944) and they stayed happily together until Ronald’s passing on May 19, 1958.

    • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He had English and Scottish ancestry.

    Hair Color

    Dark Brown

    However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death.

    Eye Color

    Hazel

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Rich, mellifluous voice
    • He sported a thin mustache

    Ronald Colman Facts

  • His last name is pronounced as ‘Kahl-man’ and not as ‘Cole-man’.
  • Ronald was initially roped in to star in a film adaptation of John Wyndham’s 1957 novel titled The Midwich Cuckoos. However, he fell ill and passed away before the shooting could commence. The film was released in 1960 as Village of the Damned with George Sanders stepping in to play the lead role of Professor Gordon Zellaby, which was originally offered to Colman. Furthermore, Sanders ended up marrying Benita Hume, Colman’s widow, during the shooting of the film in 1959.
  • His Oscar statuette, which he won for starring as Anthony ‘Tony’ John in A Double Life (1947) was auctioned off for $206,250 by the famed auction house Christie’s in 2012.
  • Colman had fought in World War I and got wounded during the Battle of Ypres.
  • The famous actor Christopher Walken, whose birth name is Ronald Walken, was named after him.
  • Ronald is honored with 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one is for motion pictures located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard and the other one is for television located at 1623 Vine Street.
  • He starred in only 1 Oscar-winning film for ‘Best Picture’, Around the World in 80 Days (1956). Moreover, he appeared in 5 ‘Best Picture’ Oscar-nominated films: Arrowsmith (1931), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Lost Horizon (1937), The Talk of the Town (1942), and Random Harvest (1942).

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