Biography

Edina Ronay was born in Budapest, the daughter of well-to-do restaurateurs. Most of their possessions were lost during the Second World War, forcing the family to leave Hungary and relocate to England in 1946. Edina's Cambridge-educated father, Egon Miklos Ronay, managed to borrow £4,000 to open another restaurant, The Marquee, situated opposite Harrod's in Knightsbridge. Some years later, he came to further prominence as a leading food critic, having published the successful 'Egon Ronay Guide to British Eateries'.

Young Edina developed an interest in painting and fashion early on. In this, she was supported by her father, who enrolled her at the Saint Martin's School of Art in London. However, the sixteen-year old dropped out after just one year, having been noticed by a film producer and given a small part as one of the (lesser) delinquent girls in The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's (1960). Edina afterwards attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1963. From 1961 to 1975, she acted in many popular television series and the occasional motion picture, though primarily confined to sultry supporting roles. She played murder victims in The Black Torment (1964) and A Study in Terror (1965) and was decorative as the American-accented saloon girl Dolores in Carry on Cowboy (1965). Edina also joined members of the Carry On gang in another screwball farce, cast as the daughter of Sylvia Syms in the crime caper The Big Job (1965). Her guest-starring appearances in classic crime/action series include episodes of The Avengers (1961), The Champions (1968), Sherlock Holmes (1964), Special Branch (1969) and Department S (1969).

In 1975, Edina turned her back on the acting profession to embark on what would become an immensely successful career as a fashion designer. Specializing in knitwear, she set up her own company in 1984, her collections sought after by boutiques and luxury department stores worldwide and featured in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle and other top fashion magazines. Her shop on King's Road in Chelsea has been patronized by celebrities and glitterati, including stars like Jane Fonda, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman and Faye Dunaway. Vastly more successful in the field of fashion than as an actress, Edina Ronay has been made a Fellow of London's Royal Society of Arts & Design. Her former husband (divorced) was the Dutch photographer Dick Polak. One of her two children is the actress Shebah Ronay.
- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis