Sandra Dickinson

Sandra Dickinson (née Searles; born October 20, 1948) is an American-British actress. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She has often played characters within the trope of a dumb blonde with a high-pitched voice.

Early life Dickinson was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Maryland with her younger brother. Her father, Harold F. Searles, was a psychoanalyst. Her mother, Sylvia Manninen, of Finnish descent, was a nurse.

Career She made her acting debut as a waitress in the 1973 British film The Final Programme. She later played the role of Trillian in the TV series of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

She has made guest appearances on shows, such as Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, Casualty, New Tricks, Holby City, Uncle, Doctors and White Van Man.

Other acting and voice roles Dickinson and then husband Peter Davison appeared together in Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner's production of the holiday pantomime Cinderella in 1983. They also appeared in a stage production of The Owl and the Pussycat, and Barefoot in the Park, a London stage production from 1984, as a pair of American newlyweds adjusting to life in their new high-rise apartment.

In 1997, she played Eunice Hubbel in Peter Hall's production of A Streetcar Named Desire at Theatre Royal, Haymarket.

She played Queen Camilla in a Carlisle pantomime production of Snow White & the Seven Dwarves in 2007, and the following year played the Fairy Godmother at the Towngate Theatre, Basildon's production of Cinderella, reprising the role in the 2009 Harlow Playhouse theatre production of Cinderella alongside her current husband, Mark Osmond. From December 18, 2010, to January 9, 2011, Dickinson played the evil Queen Maleficent in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Corn Exchange in Exeter. From December 13, 2014, to January 4, 2015, Dickinson played Queen Whoppa in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at Exeter Corn Exchange.

She played Debbie in White Van Man series 1, episode 5 "Honest", first broadcast on April 12, 2011. The series stars her daughter Georgia Tennant. In The Amazing World of Gumball Dickinson provides many voices including those of Granny Jojo, Mrs. Jotunheim, Karen, Felicity Parham, and the cupcake woman. She is the voice of Grandma Tracey in the 2015 Thunderbirds revival.

In 2014, Dickinson understudied Angela Lansbury in the West End production of Blithe Spirit – co-starring Simon Jones, with whom she had worked on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – but she never got to perform Madame Arcati, other than in the public understudy run, as Lansbury did not miss a single performance.

Personal life Dickinson married actor Peter Davison on December 26, 1978, and they were divorced in 1994. Together they composed and performed the theme tune to the 1980s children's programme Button Moon. They have a daughter, Georgia Tennant, who is also an actress.

Dickinson married her third husband, another British actor and singer, Mark Osmond, on August 16, 2009. The wedding was filmed for Four Weddings, a reality TV show where four couples compete to have theirs voted the best wedding; hers came third. Osmond is the lead singer of the band Bigger Than Mary, who played at the wedding. Her grandson, Ty Tennant, gave her away. The wedding took place in Shepperton, where the couple lived at the time.

Dickinson became a British citizen the same year. With her husband, she runs the Shepperton-based stage school Close Up Theatre School.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1973 The Final Programme Waitress 1983 Superman III Wife The Lonely Lady Nancy Day 1984 Supergirl Pretty Young Lady 1986 Dead Man's Folly Marilyn Gale 1995 Balto Dixie / Sylvie / Rosy's mother Voice 1996 Space Truckers Btchin' Betty Voice 2007 StagKnight Fay 2009 Malice in Wonderland Mother Tormented Miss Swanson 2017 You, Me and Him Jury2018 Ready Player One Old Boxing Woman Intrigo: Death of an Author Madame H. 2022 The Batman Dory 2025 The Running Man Victoria Parrakis

Television YearTitleRoleNotes Early 1970s Birds Eye Beefburger TV advertisements, directed by Alan Parker, in the early 1970s. 1975 The Tomorrow People Emily Episode A Man for Emily. Her future husband Peter Davison played her on-screen brother. 1981 The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Trillian Iconic TV Series inspired by the Radio Series, first book, double LP and stage plays 1983 Prestige saucepans Prestige TV advert, with her then husband Peter Davison. 1984 The Adventure Game Appeared in Season 3, Episode 3 with Adam Tandy & Chris Serle. 1992 2 Point 4 Children Tina Replaced Patricia Brake from series 2 onward.2009New TricksLady Gloria Gransford 2011–2019 The Amazing World of Gumball Granny Jojo / Mrs. Jötunheim / Additional voices 81 episodes 2014 Uncle Suzy TV series starring Nick Helm 2015–2020 Thunderbirds Are Go Grandma Tracy 28 episodes 2025 The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball Granny Jojo / Mrs. Jötunheim / Additional voices 5 episodes