JANE ASHER

'Jane Asher' (born 5 April 1946) is an English film and television actress and the author of several full-length novels as well as a former girlfriend of Paul McCartney.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Relationship with Paul McCartney

Acting

Marriage and later career

Notes

References

External links

Biography

Early life

Jane Asher was the second of three children to Dr. Richard and Margaret Asher, ''née'' Eliot in Marylebone, London. Her mother was a professor of oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; her older brother was Peter Asher, one half of the duo Peter & Gordon; her younger sister was 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 3 episodes (1956–1958) of the British TV series, ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (working alongside her brother Peter), and as a panelist 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 ^[1]. Asher subsequently commenced a five-year relationship with Paul McCartney (they became engaged in 1967^[2]). She inspired many of McCartney's songs, such as "Here, There and Everywhere", "I'm Looking Through You", "You Won't See Me", "We Can Work It Out", "And I Love Her", 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 wrote several Beatles songs in the Ashers' house. 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.^[3] According to Cynthia Lennon, McCartney was "as proud as a peacock" to have Jane as a girlfriend,^[4] and saw her as "a great prize."^[5] 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.^[6] McCartney did not stop having one-night stands with other women during his time with Asher,^[7] because he felt that since they were not married, it was allowed.^[7] Their relationship was reportedly ended by McCartney in mid-1968. To this day, Ms. Asher is very sensitive about her relationship with Mr. McCartney and she refuses to discuss McCartney or her time with him. ^[9] 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'' in 1964, ''Alfie'', opposite Michael Caine in 1966, and in Jerzy Skolimowski's ''Deep End'' in 1970. Thereafter, she was more commonly seen on television: ''The Stone Tape'' (1972); ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' (1978); ''Brideshead Revisited'' (1981); as Faith Ashley in ''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.
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. 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". More recently, she portrays the widow Sandra in the 2007 Frank Oz film Death at a Funeral. In 2007 she was cast in the ITV drama series ''The Palace'', which is due to be filmed in Lithuania.

Marriage and later career

Asher met the illustrator Gerald Scarfe in 1971, and they married ten years later. They have three children (Katie, Alex and Rory).
Now well known as the author of recipe books, Asher runs a company making party cakes and sugarcrafts for special occasions, and still acts on television and in the theatre. 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. Starting 24th April 2007, Asher will appear in BBC medical Drama, Holby City as Lady Byrne. She starred in "The World's Biggest Diamond", by Gregory Motton, at the Royal Court Theatre in 2005.
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 along side Joshua Muggleton (ASD speaker/writer). She is also President of the Parkinson's Disease Society.

Notes

1. Miles. p102.
2. "McCartney's lament: I can't buy your love", ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 12 June 2004 (link)
3. Bob Spitz, "The Beatles"
4. Lennon (1978)
5. Miles. p103.
6. Miles. p453.
7. Miles. pp142-143
8. Miles. pp142-143
9. "Butter wouldn't melt", ''The Daily Telegraph'', 3 October 2005 (link)

References

★ A Twist of Lennon, , Cynthia, Lennon, Star Books, 1978, ISBN 0-352-30196-1

★ John, , Cynthia, Lennon, Hodder & Stoughton, 2005, ISBN 0-340-89511-X

★ Many Years from Now, , Barry, Miles, Secker & Warburg, 1997, ISBN 0-436-28022-1

★ The Beatles: The Biography, , Bob, Spitz, Aurum Press, 2005, ISBN 0-316-80352-9

External links

★ Jane-Asher.co.uk - Jane Asher's official website

★

★ CNdb - Jane Asher at CNdb