Mary Tamm
Encyclopedia
Mary Tamm is an English
actress. She is best known for being the first actress to play the character of Romana
in the science fiction television
series Doctor Who
, opposite Tom Baker
as the Doctor
, from the 1978–1979 season known collectively as The Key to Time.
, West Yorkshire
, and is of Estonian
descent. She is a graduate and an associate member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
.
Repertory Company in 1971, moving to London in 1972 and appearing in the musical Mother Earth. Before her association with Doctor Who, Tamm acted in several motion pictures, most notably The Odessa File
(1974) and The Likely Lads
(1976). In 1981 she took the part of Rhoda Dawes in Agatha Christie
's Cards on the Table
at London's Vaudeville Theatre.
Tamm was not initially interested in playing a companion to the Doctor as she believed that the role was merely that of the "damsel in distress
". However, she changed her mind when assured by the producers that Romana would be different. Romana was a Time Lady
, a member of the Doctor's own people and therefore as capable as the Doctor. She left the programme after only one season as she felt that the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed further. The role of Romana was assumed by Lalla Ward
, later briefly Tom Baker's wife. In a 2007 interview, Tamm stated that she was willing to film a regeneration
sequence to allow a smooth transition between her tenure and that of Ward, but was not invited to do so. She has also stated that the rumour that she left because of the pregnancy of her daughter is false and was invented by producer John Nathan-Turner
, although some sources state that her pregnancy was the reason that she was not invited to film a regeneration sequence.
Since then, Tamm has acted in both film and television, playing the characters of Penny Crosbie in the soap opera
Brookside
from 1993 to 1996, Yvonne Edwards in the BBC
drama Paradise Heights
(2002), as well as guest roles in many other television programmes. Tamm returned to the role of Romana in the second series of the Gallifrey
audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions
. Her first appearance in these was in Gallifrey: Lies
(2005). She has also appeared (as herself) in the Special Features of the 2007 DVD boxed set release of The Key to Time, discussing her season long stint on the programme.
In August 2009, Tamm made a brief, one-week appearance as Orlenda, in EastEnders
.
Her autobiography entitled First Generation was published in September 2009 by Fantom Films.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress. She is best known for being the first actress to play the character of Romana
Romana
Romana, short for Romanadvoratrelundar, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
in the science fiction television
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, opposite Tom Baker
Tom Baker
Thomas Stewart "Tom" Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981.-Early life:...
as the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
, from the 1978–1979 season known collectively as The Key to Time.
Early life
Mary Tamm was born in DewsburyDewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, and is of Estonian
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
descent. She is a graduate and an associate member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
.
Acting career
Tamm began her acting career on the stage with the BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Repertory Company in 1971, moving to London in 1972 and appearing in the musical Mother Earth. Before her association with Doctor Who, Tamm acted in several motion pictures, most notably The Odessa File
The ODESSA File (film)
The Odessa File is a 1974 film adaptation of the thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth, about a struggle between a young German reporter and the ODESSA, an organization for ex-Nazis. The film stars Jon Voight and was directed by Ronald Neame, with a score by Andrew Lloyd Webber.- Plot :The plot opens...
(1974) and The Likely Lads
The Likely Lads (film)
The Likely Lads is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Michael Tuchner, starring James Bolam and Rodney Bewes. It's a spin-off from the popular 1960s British television series The Likely Lads, from which it takes its title, though in fact it's closer in tone to the more recent sequel series...
(1976). In 1981 she took the part of Rhoda Dawes in Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's Cards on the Table
Cards on the Table
Cards on the Table is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 2 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year...
at London's Vaudeville Theatre.
Tamm was not initially interested in playing a companion to the Doctor as she believed that the role was merely that of the "damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
". However, she changed her mind when assured by the producers that Romana would be different. Romana was a Time Lady
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
, a member of the Doctor's own people and therefore as capable as the Doctor. She left the programme after only one season as she felt that the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed further. The role of Romana was assumed by Lalla Ward
Lalla Ward
Sarah Ward known as Lalla Ward, is an English actor, author and illustrator. As an actor, she is known for playing the part of Romana in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is married to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins.-Early career:Ward's stage name, "Lalla", comes...
, later briefly Tom Baker's wife. In a 2007 interview, Tamm stated that she was willing to film a regeneration
Regeneration (Doctor Who)
Regeneration, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey. This process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new...
sequence to allow a smooth transition between her tenure and that of Ward, but was not invited to do so. She has also stated that the rumour that she left because of the pregnancy of her daughter is false and was invented by producer John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, from 1980 until it was effectively cancelled in 1989...
, although some sources state that her pregnancy was the reason that she was not invited to film a regeneration sequence.
Since then, Tamm has acted in both film and television, playing the characters of Penny Crosbie in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
from 1993 to 1996, Yvonne Edwards in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama Paradise Heights
The Eustace Bros.
The Eustace Bros. was a BBC drama series starring Charles Dale, Neil Morrissey and Ralf Little as three brothers from Nottingham struggling to keep their discount warehouse business afloat...
(2002), as well as guest roles in many other television programmes. Tamm returned to the role of Romana in the second series of the Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
. Her first appearance in these was in Gallifrey: Lies
Gallifrey: Lies
Gallifrey: Lies is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The series is set on the Doctor's home planet of Gallifrey.-Plot:...
(2005). She has also appeared (as herself) in the Special Features of the 2007 DVD boxed set release of The Key to Time, discussing her season long stint on the programme.
In August 2009, Tamm made a brief, one-week appearance as Orlenda, in EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
.
Personal life
Tamm married Marcus Ringrose in 1978. They have one daughter and a grandson.Her autobiography entitled First Generation was published in September 2009 by Fantom Films.