Louise Jameson

Jameson was born in Wanstead, Essex and grew up in nearby Woodford Green.[1] She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art[1] and spent two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Summerfolk, and Blithe Spirit. 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.

She appeared opposite Mike Raven in the low budget British horror film Disciple of Death (1972). Her early TV career highlights included appearances on Emmerdale in 1973 (as Sharon Crossthwaite), as Leela, the leather-clad warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who (1977–78), and in The Omega Factor (1979) as Dr. Anne Reynolds.

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 Aged 13 3/4' 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 1993 Children in Need special Dimensions in Time.

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. Later, 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.[2]

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.

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

In 2013, Louise starred in the play Gutted by Rikki Beadle-Blair and has been 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.[3]

In 2016, she toured in Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap,[4] the longest running show in British theatre.

Jameson attended the independent Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill.

She was married to Martin Bedford. She is also good friends with her Big Finish Productions co-star Lalla Ward.[5] For many years she has lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

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;[6] and, by 1985, he had secured the role of Den Watts in EastEnders.

Jameson also works as a teacher of drama, directing youth productions of Shakespeare for local festivals.