Mary Tamm was born in Bradford in 1950 and began her acting career on the stage in the early seventies. Her first television work came in 1973 when she appeared in Coronation Street and The Donati Conspiracy. Tamm also moved into movies the following year, starring alongside Jon Voight and fellow Doctor Who actor Derek Jacobi in The Odessa File.
Tamm continued to work regularly through the 1970s in both film and television, notably in the big screen version of The Likely Lads. She made her first appearance in Doctor Who in 1978 as Romana in The Armageddon Factor, the first part in The Key to Time series arc. A strong, charismatic and elegant presence from her first appearance Tamm’s short spell on the show brought a new dynamic in the Tardis. As a fellow Gallifreyan the character of Romana was a departure from many previous companions in her ability to at times match and sometimes even better the Doctor’s intelligence and it was the promise of a more equal relationship that overcame Tamm’s initial reluctance to take on the part. While in her view the character quickly reverted to a more stereotypical Doctor’s assistant role by the end of the series, resulting in a fast departure from the show, she certainly held her own in the early episodes. The dialogue sparkles between Tamm and Tom Baker’s Doctor and she is a dignified and impressive figure throughout. Possibly her most impressive performance comes in the fourth serial in The Key to Time, The Androids of Tara where she takes on the role of not only Romana, but also Princess Strella and their android duplicates. She gives subtly contrasting performances and is a key component to an excellent often underrated story.
After leaving Doctor Who Tamm worked on a variety of different television shows adding to her early appearance in Coronation Street with roles in Brookside, Doctors, Holby City, The Bill, Heartbeat and in her final television work, Eastenders. In 2005 she returned to the world of Doctor Who, playing Pandora in the second series of the Big Finish spin-off audios Gallifrey. Tamm’s ability to work was limited in the last couple of years as she battled cancer, but she was able to return to the character of Romana by appearing in all seven episodes of the second season of Tom Baker Big Finish audiobooks. Sadly Tamm lost her fight against cancer in July 2012 at the tragically young age of 62. The audiobooks currently being released by Big Finish are a fitting tribute to a wonderful actress and a sadly missed member of the Doctor Who family.
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