More tragic news as it is announced that Mary Tamm has passed away. She played the first incarnation of Romana throughout Season 16 - the linked Key To Time stories.
She was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, in March 1950, to a Russian mother and Estonian father. She attended RADA and started her acting career with Birmingham Rep in 1971. By the time she was offered the role of Romana, she had already played a starring role in the film of 'The Odessa File'. Initially reluctant, she only accepted when it was explained that her character would be a fellow Time Lord who could match or even better the Doctor - and not just another "damsel in distress".
Her character's finest moments come with The Androids of Tara where she got to play 4 roles - Romana, Princess Strella, and killer android versions of each.
She left after just the one season because she felt that there was nothing more she could do with the part. She had subsequently said that she offered to do a regeneration scene, but was never invited to do so.
Post Doctor Who, one of her best known roles was as Penny Crosbie in the soap 'Brookside', from 1993 - 96.
She returned to the world of Doctor Who through the Big Finish audios - appearing as Romana as well as other characters. A documentary about the Rollright Stones is presented by her on the Stones of Blood DVD.
She released an autobiography "First Generation" in 2009, and had been planning a second volume at the time of her death.
Another sad sad day for fans of Doctor Who.
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