Louise Jameson

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, 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."

Biography Early life and career Jameson was born in Wanstead, Essex and grew up in nearby Woodford Green. Jameson attended the independent Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from the ages of seventeen to nineteen 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).

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. 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".

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". 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." 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."

Jameson was initially paid £120 an episode for Doctor Who, later increasing to £150 an episode. She left the series after nine serials, departing in The Invasion of Time (1978).

After Doctor Who Jameson went on to appear in The Omega Factor (1979) as Dr. Anne Reynolds.

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 the 2013 Offie for Best Female Performance. In November 2013, she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. In 2016, she toured in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, the longest running show in British theatre. In 2022, she joined the cast of Emmerdale as Mary Goskirk.

Personal life In 1990, Jameson married Martin Bedford, an artist whom she had met while filming Bergerac in Jersey. They divorced in 1997.

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.

Filmography Film Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

Television

Theatre

1970: The Lower Depths – Anna/Old Woman – Vanbrugh Theatre, London 1972: The Glass Menagerie – Laura – The Byre Theatre, St. Andrews 1973: Romeo and Juliet – Woman – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1973: Richard II – Small role – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1973: Love's Labour's Lost – Jaquenetta – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1973: The Taming of the Shrew – Bianca Minola – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1974: King John – Blanche of Spain – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1974: Lear – Cordelia – The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon 1974: I Was Shakespeare’s Double – Anne – The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon 1974: Summerfolk – Sonya – Aldwych Theatre, London 1974: The Marquis of Keith – Molly Griesinger – Aldwych Theatre, London 1975: King John – Blanche of Spain – Aldwych Theatre, London 1975: Love's Labour's Lost – Jaquenetta – UK Tour 1975: Love's Labour's Lost – Jaquenetta – Aldwych Theatre, London 1975: Serjeant Musgrave's Dance – Anne – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1975: The Merchant of Venice – Portia – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1975: Hard Times – Louisa Gradgrind – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1976: Three Women – Main Role – Studio Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 1976: Private Lives – Sybil Chase – UK Tour 1978: Roots – Beatie Bryant – The Little Theatre, Bristol 1978: A View from the Bridge – Catherine – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1978: Arms and the Man – Raina – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1978: The Relapse, or, Virtue in Danger – Bernithia – Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge 1979: The Country Holiday – Giacinta – Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge 1979: King Lear – Regan – Oxford Playhouse, Oxford 1979: Touch and Go – Annabel Wrath – Royal Court Theatre, London 1980: All My Sons – Ann Deever – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1980: A Midsummer Night's Dream – Helena – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1980: Much Ado About Nothing – Beatrice – Oxford Playhouse, Oxford 1980: Peer Gynt – Various – Oxford Playhouse, Oxford 1980: Mephisto – Miriam Gottchalk – Oxford Playhouse, Oxford 1981: Passion Play – Kate – Aldwych Theatre, London 1981: Whose Life Is It Anyway? – Dr. Clare Scott – Churchill Theatre, Bromley 1983: Gas Light – Bella Manningham – Churchill Theatre, Bromley 1983: As You Like It – Rosalind – Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London 1983: The Beaux' Stratagem – Mrs. Sullen – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1986: The Light Rough – Linda – Hampstead Theatre, Hampstead 1987: The Doctor's Dilemma – Jennifer Dubedat – Bristol Old Vic, Bristol 1988–1989: Sticky Fingers – Roxanne – King's Head Theatre, London 1989: Blithe Spirit – Elvira – UK Tour 1990: Barbarians – Nadiezhda – Barbican Centre, London 1993: Blithe Spirit – Elvira – UK Tour 1993: Mary Stuart – Mary, Queen of Scots – Battersea Arts Centre 1995: Heartbreak House – Mrs. Hushabye – Belgrade Theatre, Coventry 1995: The Park – Titania – The Pit, London 1996–1997: Death of a Salesman – The Woman – UK Tour 2001: Confusions – Various – UK Tour 2001: The Gentle Hook – Stacey Harrison – Theatre Royal, Windsor 2001: Sex Wars – Main Role – UK Tour 2002: Murder in Paris – Denyse Simenon – UK Tour 2002: The Ghost Train – Julia Price – UK Tour 2002: Corpse! – Mrs. McGee – UK Tour 2003: Corpse! – Mrs. McGee – UK Tour 2003: Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners – Main Role – Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea 2003: Tom, Dick & Harry – Mrs. Potter – Theatre Royal, Windsor 2004: How the Other Half Loves – Main Role – Singapore 2004: Dinner – Wynne – Richmond Theatre, London 2004: Nobody's Fool – Fran – UK Tour 2005: Love Letters – Melissa Gardner – UK Tour 2005: Funny Money – Main Role – Singapore 2005: Tom, Dick & Harry – Mrs. Potter – Duke of York's Theatre, London 2006: Sit and Shiver – Mrs. Green – New End Theatre, London 2006: Arsenic and Old Lace – Abby Brewster – UK Tour 2007: Sit and Shiver – Mrs. Green – Hackney Empire, London 2007: Bedroom Farce – Delia – UK Tour 2008: Hamlet – Gertrude – Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford 2009: Women on the Edge of HRT – Vera – UK Tour 2010: We'll Always Have Paris – Raquel – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye 2010: Stop Dreamin' – Doris White – London Tour 2011: Oedipus – Jocasta – UK Tour 2011: Love's the Thing – Lady Ditchling – Brighton Fringe Festival 2012–2013: My Gay Best Friend – Raquell – UK Tour 2013: Gutted – Bridie Prospect – Theatre Royal Stratford East, London 2014: Absurd Person Singular – Marion – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye 2014: A Murder Is Announced – Miss Marple – UK Tour 2014: Time and the Conways – Mrs. Conway – Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham 2015: Noises Off – Dotty Otley – Mercury Theatre, Colchester 2015: Love, Loss, and What I Wore – Gingy – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye 2015: Driving Me Round the Bend – Georgina Best – The Space Arts Centre, London 2016: The Mousetrap – Mrs. Boyle – UK Tour 2016: Rumpy Pumpy – Jean Johnson – UK Tour 2017: A Murder Is Announced – Miss Marple – UK Tour 2017: Winter Hill – Beth – The Octagon Theatre, Bolton 2018: Vincent River – Anita – Park Theatre, London 2018: Ten Times Table – Helen – The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye 2018: The Madness of George III – Dr. Warren – Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham 2019: Vincent River – Anita – Park Theatre, London 2019: Macbeth – Queen Duncan – Victorian Theatre, Tunbridge Wells 2021: Tennis Elbow – Mama – Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh 2021: The Mousetrap – Mrs. Boyle – St Martin's Theatre, London

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 2000–2001: Snow White – The Wicked Queen – Wycombe Swan, Wycombe 2003–2004: Aladdin – Slave of the Ring – The Capitol Theatre, Horsham 2004–2005: Dick Whittington and His Cat – Fairy Bow Bells – Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne 2015–2016: Cinderella – Fairy Godmother – Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

As director 2003: Wotcha Will – Stratford Circus, London 2015: The Man with the Golden Pen – Jermyn Street Theatre, London 2020: Revenge'' – UK Tour