Short Biography

James Neville Mason (15 May 1909 – 27 July 1984) was a three-time Academy Award-nominated British actor who attained stardom in both British and American films. Mason was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, to John and Mabel Mason; his father was a wealthy merchant. Mason had no formal training as an actor and initially embarked upon it for fun. He was educated at Marlborough College, and earned a first in architecture at Peterhouse, Cambridge where he became involved in stock theatre companies in his spare time. After Cambridge he joined the Old Vic theatre in London under the guidance of Tyrone Guthrie and Alexander Korda, who gave Mason a small film role in 1933 but fired him a few days into shooting.

James was married twice. Mason was a devoted lover of animals, particularly cats. Mason survived a major heart attack in 1959 and died as a result of another on July 27, 1984 in Lausanne, Switzerland. He was cremated, and (after a delay of 16 years) his ashes were buried in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. The remains of his old friend Charlie Chaplin are in a tomb a few steps away. James Mason Court, a road in the Marsh area of Huddersfield, is named after him.

Who's Dated Who content is contributed and edited by our readers. Please report errors or omissions on this page.