Anneke Wills

Anneke Wills (; born Anna Katarina Willys, 20 October 1941) is an English actress, best known for her role as the companion Polly in the long-running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who.

Biography Wills's father, Alaric Willys, was a captain in the British Army. Her mother, Anna, was Dutch, born in Rotterdam. Anneke is the granddaughter of Richard Raymond Willis VC.

Career Deciding she wanted to be an actress she studied drama at the Arts Educational School and RADA in London and quickly became one of the busiest actresses of her generation, early roles included an appearance as Roberta in the second TV version of The Railway Children in 1957. Her other film roles included appearances in Some People (1962) and The Pleasure Girls (1965). and as Evelyn in Strange Report (1969–70).

Doctor Who In 1966, she took the role of Polly in Doctor Who. She appeared in the show until 1967 alongside William Hartnell and then Patrick Troughton. Her favourite story is The Smugglers.

In October 2013, she recorded an abridged version of Who's There?, a biography of Hartnell written by his granddaughter, Jessica Carney.

In November 2013, she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

She has been a popular guest at Doctor Who conventions, and has been employed by the BBC and Big Finish to record various audio and DVD projects related to the show.

In 2021, Wills was approached by Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall about reprising her role as Polly for the Thirteenth Doctor's final episode, "The Power of the Doctor", but was unavailable on the day of filming as she was maintaining her garden at her home in Dartmoor. "I heard it was quite brief so I'm glad I stayed and did my brambles instead," she told the Radio Times.

Writing The first volume of her autobiography, Self Portrait, was published in 2007 by Hirst Books and a second volume, Naked, followed in 2009. Her latest book, Anneke Wills - In Focus, was published in May 2012 by Fantom Films.

Personal life At 17, she began a relationship with Anthony Newley while working on the TV series The Strange World of Gurney Slade. Newley fathered Wills's first child, but instructed her to have an abortion. Wills became pregnant for a second time and gave birth to a daughter, Polly, in 1963 but by this time Wills and Newley had separated as Wills discovered he was having an affair with Joan Collins.

During the 1960s Wills spent much of her time at the famous Troubadour Coffee Shop and the Establishment, and was part of the so-called "Chelsea Set".

In 1965, Wills married actor Michael Gough, She remarried twice.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1954 Child's Play Alice Nightingale 1962 Candidate for Murder Jacqueline Credited as Annika Wills Some People Anne 1964 Nothing but the Best Girl 1965 The Pleasure Girls Angela

Television

Audio drama Year Title Role Notes 1998 Bernice Summerfield Doctor Kitzinger Big Finish Productions; Story: "Beyond the Sun" 2003-2006 Doctor Who: The Monthly Range Nrosha, Louisa Pollard Big Finish Productions; 4 releases 2009-2019 Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles Polly Big Finish Productions; 10 releases 2011 The Five Companions Big Finish Productions; Special release 2013 The Light at the End 2014 Charlotte Pollard Doctor Kitzinger Big Finish Productions; Story: "The Fall of the House of Pollard" 2015-2019 Doctor Who: The Early Adventures Polly Big Finish Productions; 6 releases 2016-2022 Big Finish Short Trips Narrator 3 releases