Brian Aherne

Brian Aherne was an Anglo-American actor who is best known for Juarez, The Constant Nymph, and Titanic. He was born on May 2, 1902, in King’s Norton, Worcestershire, England and passed away on February 10, 1986, in Venice, Florida.

Personal and Family Life

Brian Aherne, whose birth name was William Brian de Lacy Aherne, had two marriages. He was married to Joan Fontaine from 1939 until 1945, and later to Eleanor de Liagre Labrot from 1946 until his death. Aherne had one child, Leonie Labrot Gately, and had a brother named Patrick Aherne. He enjoyed a variety of hobbies, including flying, as he held a pilot’s license and owned a plane.

Career

Aherne started acting as a child and made his professional debut at the age of 18 with a theater company that would become the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. His Broadway debut followed in 1931 with the play “The Barretts of Wimpole Street.” He worked in theater for many years before transitioning to films in the mid-1930s. Aherne earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Juarez (1939).

Death and Legacy

Brian Aherne died of heart failure on February 10, 1986, at the age of 83. He is remembered for his contributions to both theater and film, as well as for his roles in classic movies during the 1930s and 1940s. Aherne also published his autobiography and a biography of his friend George Sanders, reflecting his experiences in the entertainment industry.

Filmography

TitleRelease DateCharacter
Underground1928-07-01Bill
I Confess1953-02-13Willy Robertson
Sylvia Scarlett1935-12-25Michael Fane
My Sister Eileen1942-09-24Robert Baker
Lancelot and Guinevere1963-06-02King Arthur
The Swan1956-04-26Father Carl Hyacinth
Beloved Enemy1936-12-25Dennis Riordan
The Locket1946-12-20Dr. Harry Blair
A Bullet Is Waiting1954-09-04David Canham
Titanic1953-04-11Capt. Edward John Smith
Prince Valiant1954-04-05King Arthur
The Lady in Question1940-08-07Andre Morestan
Susan Slade1961-11-08Stanton Corbett
A Night to Remember1942-12-10Jeff Troy
Juarez1939-06-10Emperor Maximilian von Hapsburg
Skylark1941-11-21Jim Blake
The Song of Songs1933-07-19Richard Waldow
First Comes Courage1943-07-29Capt. Allan Lowell
Hired Wife1940-09-13Stephen Dexter
Sette contro la morte1964-06-26General Braithwaite
Merrily We Live1938-03-04E. Wade Rawlins
Captain Fury1939-05-26Captain Michael Fury
Smilin’ Through1941-10-01Sir John Carteret
Smart Woman1948-04-30Robert Larrimore
The Constant Nymph1933-12-01Lewis Dodd
The Great Garrick1937-10-30David Garrick
Vigil in the Night1940-02-05Dr. Robert S. Prescott
I Live My Life1935-10-04Terence ‘Terry’ O’Neill
Rosie!1967-11-22Oliver Stevenson
What a Woman1943-12-29Henry Pepper
What Every Woman Knows1934-10-18John Shand
The Fountain1934-08-22Lewis Allison
The Waltz King1964-02-14Johann Strauss (Vater)
The Best of Everything1959-10-09Fred Shalimar
The Eleventh Commandment1924-07-31Norman Barchester
Angel on the Amazon1948-11-01Anthony Ridgeway
The W Plan1930-02-25Col. Duncan Grant
Shooting Stars1928-02-06Julian Gordon
My Son, My Son!1940-03-21William Essex