Doctor Who companion Mary Tamm dies, aged 62
Doctor Who actress Mary Tamm has died after a long battle against cancer at the age of 62, her agent has said. The actress, who played the Doctor's companion Romana alongside Tom Baker, died at hospital in London on Thursday. Her agent Barry Langford said she had a 'zest for life'. She was born in Bradford, west Yorkshire, the daughter of Estonian refugees, and had a long career on stage and screen. As well as Doctor Who, she starred in films The Odessa File and The Likely Lads and had recurring roles in Brookside and EastEnders. Tamm leaves husband Marcus Ringrose, daughter Lauren and seven-year-old grandson Max. She had been suffering from cancer for 18 months. Her agent of 22 years said: "She had a great zest for life. She was a fantastic actress - she played stage parts of such range, parts that would take your breath away. She could play any role, and do so wonderfully." Tamm, who lived in Battersea, south London, trained at RADA. Her first professional job was at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre where she worked alongside Derek Jacobi, Joan Sims and Ronnie Barker. From there she moved on to television work and film, her first feature film being Tales That Witness Madness with Kim Novak. She recently starred in Wire In The Blood, Paradise Heights and Jonathan Creek, with stage work including Amanda in Private Lives and Beverley in Abigail's Party. Her autobiography was published three years ago. Mr Langford said Tamm had been saddened by the recent deaths of contemporaries Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who, and Angharad Rees, who died last weekend. He added: "All of these people who she knew were going."
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.