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Mary Tamm was an English actress from Bradford, with Estonian and Russian descent. She is primarily remembered for portraying Romana I, the first incarnation of the female Time Lord Romana in the long-running science fiction television series "Doctor Who" (1963-1989). Tamm portrayed the character throughout the story arc "The Key to Time" (1978-1979). Her version of the character was well-educated, haughty, and somewhat arrogant, but inexperienced as an adventurer. Romana I was then replaced by Romana II (played by Lalla Ward), who was depicted as a more confident, and wittier incarnation.
She was the daughter of emigrant parents, who had fled Stalinist persecution in their native Soviet Union. Tamm's father was Estonian, and Tamm's mother was a Russian opera singer. Four of Tamm's paternal uncles died while serving prison sentences in the gulag labor camps. Tamm learned only the Estonian language at her home, and went on to attend Estonian-language school on Saturdays. She learned English as a second language, when enrolled in a primary school.
In 1961, the 11-year-old Tamm won a scholarship to attend the Bradford Girls' Grammar School, a private school active since 1875. She soon joined the city's Civic Theatre, as a child actress. By the time she reached adulthood, she wanted to become a full-time actress. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1969 to 1971.
In 1971, Tamm started regularly performing with the Birmingham Repertory Company. In 1972, she moved to London to secure a role in a musical at the city's stage. In 1973, Tamm made her BBC television debut as the character Sally Ross in "The Donati Conspiracy". She started regularly appearing in various film and television roles at this point. She portrayed the intended victim of a human sacrifice in the "Luau" segment of the horror anthology film "Tales That Witness Madness" (1973), and she portrayed the protagonist's victimized girlfriend in the neo-Nazi-themed spy thriller film "The Odessa File" (1974).
When initially offered to play the role of a female companion in "Doctor Who" , Tamm wanted to refuse. She felt that the companions of the series were damsels in distress with limited character development. She changed her mind when the producers assured her that Romana would be a member of the Doctor's own species, and as capable as the Doctor himself. Tamm was disappointed when she realized that Romana was essentially a sidekick, and often in peril. She decided to leave the series after a single story arc, though she left the show on relatively good terms. Tamm was annoyed when rumors about her supposed pregnancy were spread by a former producer of the show.
In the 1980s, Tamm had leading roles in several short-lived dramas and in the sitcom "The Hello, Goodbye Man". In the early 1990s, she was a regular guest panelist on the morning quiz show "Crosswits". From 1993 to 1996, Tamm portrayed a recurring character in the soap opera Brookside. In 2005, Tamm was cast as Pandora in the "Gallifrey" audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions. In the 2010s, she returned to the role of Romana in seven "Doctor Who" audio adventures. They were released posthumously in 2013.
In 2009, Tamm published the first volume of her autobiography, under the title "First Generation". She was working on a second volume at the time of her death from cancer in July 2012. The second volume was published posthumously in 2014. Tamm was survived by her only daughter, Lauren. Though long gone, Tamm remains popular in the science fiction fandom.
