26 Facts About Dinah Sheridan

Dinah Sheridan was best known for the films Genevieve and The Railway Children, the long-running BBC comedy series Don't Wait Up, and for her distinguished theatre career in London's West End.

Dinah Sheridan's father was born in Osaka, Japan, to a father of Russian descent.

Dinah Sheridan's mother was born in Kew, Surrey, to parents of German descent.

Dinah Sheridan's parents were photographers commissioned as "Studio Lisa" by the Queen Mother and her daughter, Elizabeth II to photograph the royal family at such events as royal pantomimes.

Dinah Sheridan was educated at Sherrardswood School in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire and the Italia Conti Stage School.

Dinah Sheridan changed her name to Dinah Sheridan, which she selected from a phone book, to play Wendy, at the age of 14, in a long-running theatrical production of Peter Pan starring Jean Forbes-Robertson.

Dinah Sheridan's parents changed their surname to Sheridan at the same time.

Dinah Sheridan was one of the first actresses to appear on television in 1936 when the medium was in its infancy, and was interviewed on the BBC TV magazine programme Picture Page.

Dinah Sheridan's acting credits included appearing with Robert Helpmann in The Maker of Dreams ; and in Gallows Glorious, the first-ever three-act play on television.

Dinah Sheridan postponed her film career to serve for two years as an ambulance driver at the start of World War II at Welwyn Garden City, where she participated in repertory theatre.

Dinah Sheridan played Jane Huggett in The Huggetts Abroad and appeared as "Steve Temple" in two Paul Temple films, Calling Paul Temple and Paul Temple's Triumph.

Dinah Sheridan received wider recognition for her acting in 1951 as the game warden's wife in a film about African wildlife, Where No Vultures Fly.

Dinah Sheridan followed this with playing the second female lead in the acclaimed The Sound Barrier directed by David Lean.

In interviews, Dinah Sheridan spoke of how she was very happy to take a supporting role to Ann Todd in order to be directed by Lean.

Dinah Sheridan then starred opposite Dirk Bogarde in Appointment in London and had a featured role as Grace Marston in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan which was made as part of the Coronation celebrations of 1953.

Dinah Sheridan was Britain's top female box-office star of 1953, according to the Motion Picture Herald's poll of film exhibitors.

Dinah Sheridan made only one more cinema film after The Railway Children: The Mirror Crack'd, which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple.

Let's All Go Down the Strand began a prolonged period of success in London's West End, with Dinah Sheridan appearing in both comedic and dramatic roles for the next 25 years.

Dinah Sheridan starred in Ronald Gow's A Boston Story ; Ira Wallach's Out of the Question, and in the title role of Ray Cooney's Move Over Mrs Markham.

Dinah Sheridan participated in A Talent To Amuse a gala evening production at the Phoenix Theatre, London, on 16 December 1969 which celebrated Noel Coward's 70th birthday.

Dinah Sheridan featured in several major television plays most notably Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband ; and John Galsworthy's Loyalties.

Dinah Sheridan co-starred with long-standing friend and colleague Tony Britton and Nigel Havers in British sitcom, Don't Wait Up which had audiences of over 15 million.

Dinah Sheridan was a regular in the ITV series The Winning Streak and Just Us, and the BBC comedy series All Night Long.

When Dinah Sheridan was the subject of the British TV show This Is Your Life in 1979, guests in the studio included John Gielgud, Evelyn Laye, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Dinah Sheridan died peacefully at her home in Northwood, London, on 25 November 2012, aged 92.

Dinah Sheridan married four times, divorcing twice and being made a widow twice: firstly to actor Jimmy Hanley, with whom she had three children, then to business executive John Davis, later to actor John Merivale and lastly to Aubrey Ison.