Louise Jameson

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Louise Marion Jameson (born 20 April 1951) is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela in Doctor Who (1977–1978), Anne Reynolds in The Omega Factor (1979), Blanche Simmons in Tenko (1981–1982), Susan Young in Bergerac (1985–1990), Rosa di Marco in EastEnders (1998–2000), Viv Roberts in River City (2008) and Mary Goskirk in Emmerdale (2022–present).

According to Screenonline, Jameson "was one of a handful of actresses who both benefited from and contributed to the opening out of roles for women on British television during the 1970s and 80s, when she became associated with a series of tough, resourceful and independent characters in genres where women had conventionally been either victims or vamps."<ref name="screenonline">Template:Cite web</ref>

Biography

Early life and career

Jameson was born in Wanstead, Essex and grew up in nearby Woodford Green.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref> Jameson attended the independent Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from the ages of seventeen to nineteen<ref name="auto"/> and shared a flat with fellow drama students Sherrie Hewson and Sharon Maughan<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> before spending two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Summerfolk, and Blithe Spirit. Her early TV career highlights include appearances on Emmerdale Farm in 1973 as Sharon Crossthwaite, the first character in the soap to be murdered, and roles in Z-Cars and the television film The Game in 1977. She also appeared opposite Mike Raven in the low budget British horror film Disciple of Death (1972).<ref name="Sabrina">Template:Cite news</ref>

Doctor Who

Jameson with Sophie Aldred and Katy Manning at a Doctor Who 50th Anniversary event in 2013.

Jameson came to widespread attention when she was cast by director Pennant Roberts as Leela, the leather-clad companion of the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The character is a warrior of the fictional Sevateem people, and was introduced in The Face of Evil (1977). Jameson's inspirations for the way that she played the character included her dog, for "her instinctive nature and tendency to slightly cock her head when she perceives something", and a neighbour's child, for "openness and naïveté".<ref name="BurkSmith2013">Template:Cite book</ref>

Jameson's costuming in the series receives much comment and some criticism from feminists, with Mark Duguid writing for Screenonline that it "said much about the failure of 1970s feminism to permeate the BBC's production or costume departments".<ref name="screenonline" /> Valerie Estelle Frankel, in her book on Women in Doctor Who, characterises Leela as "a classic warrior woman" but says that the seriousness of the character is undermined because "her provocatively cut hunting leathers and cleavage are offered to the male gaze in every episode."<ref name="Frankel2018">Template:Cite book</ref> Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times also regarded her as "a companion to lure in adolescent lads and their dads" but, while considering her debut serial to be a "lifeless tale", he wrote that Jameson was "a wonderful find. Exuding commitment and conviction, she makes Leela earnest, warm and funny, elevating her far beyond Robert Holmes's desire for a 'Raquel Welch in the jungle'. Quite simply, she's one of the most naturally gifted actresses ever to play a companion."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008 Jameson said, "In a way the companion was a bit of a device when I was in Doctor Who, though I did love her feistiness and her intelligence and her aggression and her intelligence – even though she wasn't educated."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jameson was initially paid £120 an episode for Doctor Who, later increasing to £150 an episode.<ref name="120QUID">Template:Cite news</ref> She left the series after nine serials, departing in The Invasion of Time (1978).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After Doctor Who

Jameson went on to appear in The Omega Factor (1979) as Dr. Anne Reynolds.<ref name="SOBFIC" /> She later had a leading role as Blanche Simmons in the first two series of Tenko, before starring for five years in the late 1980s in Bergerac as Susan Young, Jim Bergerac's girlfriend. In the mid-1980s, she played Tania Braithwaite, Pandora's mother, in both The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole and The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole for Thames Television. In the early 1990s, she starred in the two series of Rides, and made numerous one-off appearances in various TV drama series, as well as numerous Doctor Who spin-off projects including the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time (1993). In 1995, she appeared in the RSC production of Botho Strauß's The Park. Other stage appearances include the first production of Peter Nichols's Passion Play produced at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in 1981. In 1998, Jameson began a long run in the BBC soap EastEnders as Rosa di Marco, appearing in over 200 episodes over two and a half years until August 2000. Since then, she has appeared in episodes of the BBC Scotland soap River City as Viv Roberts, as a guest artist in episodes of Doctors, Holby City and The Bill and as a regular in Doc Martin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jameson continues to reprise the characters of Leela and Anne Reynolds in audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions and has also starred in Sapphire & Steel and Dark Shadows audio dramas for the same company. She has also appeared in documentaries and commentaries accompanying numerous BBC DVD releases of her Doctor Who serials. She is the subject of MJTV's The Actor Speaks Volume 5, where she discusses herself, her acting career and the various series she has been in. In 2007, Jameson toured nationally in her one-woman show, Face Value. In 2013, she starred in the play Gutted by Rikki Beadle-Blair and was nominated for Best Female Performance at the 2013 Off West End Theatre Awards (Offies). In November 2013, she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.<ref>"The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot", BBC programmes, retrieved 26 November 2013</ref> In 2016, she toured in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the longest running show in British theatre. In 2022, she joined the cast of Emmerdale as Mary Goskirk.<ref name="Jameson">Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

In 1990, Jameson married Martin Bedford, an artist whom she had met while filming Bergerac in Jersey. They divorced in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jameson was a regular prison visitor, monitoring prisoners' welfare, during the first few years of her career; and, during the early 1970s, she met Leslie Grantham at Leyhill Prison in Gloucestershire, where he was serving 12 years of a life sentence for murder. She encouraged Grantham to become an actor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Disciple of Death Betty
1994 The Terror Game Tamora Hennessy
The Zero Imperative Patricia Haggard
1995 The Devil of Winterborne
1996 Unnatural Selection
Ghosts of Winterborne
1998 After Celia Corinne
1999 The Last 28 May
2005 Big Night Out Lynne
2012 Run for Your Wife Receptionist Cameo
2017 Crossing Over Angela Winters
2018 Modern Love Mum

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1971 The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine Girl Episode: #1.2
Tom Brown's Schooldays Mary Arnold TV Series; 5 episodes <ref name="SOBFIC">Template:Cite web</ref>
Cider With Rosie Junior teacher TV film <ref name="SOBFIC" />
1973 Emmerdale Farm Sharon Crossthwaite 4 episodes <ref name="SOBFIC" />
1976 Play for Today Stella Episode: "The Peddler"
Dominic Lady Harriet 4 episodes
1977 The Game Elsie Whitworth TV film
1977–1978 Doctor Who Leela 40 episodes
1979 The Omega Factor Dr. Anne Reynolds All 10 episodes <ref name="SOBFIC" />
1981–1982 Tenko Blanche Simmons 13 episodes <ref name="SOLBFI">Template:Cite web</ref>
1984 The Gentle Touch Emma Saunders Episode: "Mad Dog"
1985 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Tania Braithwaite 3 episodes
1985–1990 Bergerac Susan Young 32 episodes <ref name="SOLBFI" />
1987 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole Tania Braithwaite Episode: #1.5
1990-1995 Casualty Judy/Janet Tolchard 2 episodes
1991-2004 The Bill Irene Harris/Julie Wiletts 3 episodes <ref name="SOBFIC" />
1992–1993 Rides Janet 6 episodes <ref name="SOBFIC" />
1992 My Friend Walter Joan Throckmorton TV film
1993 Dimensions in Time Leela TV short; Part Two
1994 Degas and Pissarro Fall Out Jenny TV film
1995 Wycliffe Tilly Rawle Episode: "Wild Oats" <ref name="SOBFIC" />
Stick with Me, Kid Mrs. Hilliard
Molly Alice Greenfield Episode: #1.10
1996 The Upper Hand Emma Episode: "In Marriage We Trust"
1997 The Pale Horse Florence Tuckerton TV film
1998–2000 EastEnders Rosa di Marco 231 episodes <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000 The Canterbury Tales Falcon / Horsewoman Voice; Episode: "The Journey Back"
2006-2019 Doctors Various 6 episodes
2008 River City Viv Roberts 3 episodes
2011 The Vessel Kim's Mum 2 episodes
Doc Martin Eleanor Glasson 5 episodes
2012 Holby City Mary Thorne Episode: "Fault Lines"
2013 The Dumping Ground Angel Episode: "The Truth Is Out There"
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot Louise Jameson TV film
The Tractate Middoth Mary Simpson
2014 Toast of London Wendy Nook Episode: "Match Fit"
2015 Guin and the Dragon Melinda the Dragon Lady TV film
2019 Secret Life of Boys Granny Bob 3 episodes
2020 Silent Witness Sue Marshall 2 episodes
2020 Bumps Barbara TV film
2021 Midsomer Murders Annie Davids Episode: "The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy"
2022–present Emmerdale Mary Goskirk Series regular <ref name="Sabrina" />
2022 McDonald & Dodds Mrs. Burchard Episode: "A Billion Beats"
2025 Time Travelling With Myself Anne Sparks 2 episodes

Theatre

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One-woman shows

  • 2010–2011: Shakespeare's Mistress – Herself – UK Tour
  • 2011: Pulling Faces – Joanne Taylor – International Tour
  • 2020: Shakespeare's Mistress – Herself – The Grove Theatre, Eastbourne

Pantomime

As director

References

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