Mary Tamm was an English actress born in Bradford, with Estonian and Russian heritage. She is best known for her portrayal of Romana I, the first female Time Lord, in the long-running science fiction series "Doctor Who". Tamm's character was well-educated, haughty, and somewhat arrogant, but inexperienced as an adventurer.
Tamm's parents were emigrants who fled Stalinist persecution in the Soviet Union. Her father was Estonian, and her mother was a Russian opera singer. Tamm learned Estonian at home and attended Estonian-language school on Saturdays. She also learned English as a second language in primary school.
Tamm won a scholarship to attend the Bradford Girls' Grammar School at the age of 11. She joined the city's Civic Theatre as a child actress and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1969 to 1971.
Tamm began her professional career with the Birmingham Repertory Company in 1971 and moved to London the following year to pursue a role in a musical. Her BBC television debut came in 1973 as Sally Ross in "The Donati Conspiracy".
Tamm's breakthrough role was as Romana I in "Doctor Who", which she played from 1978 to 1979. She was initially hesitant to take the role, but changed her mind when producers assured her that Romana would be a capable and intelligent character.
After leaving "Doctor Who", Tamm appeared in various films and television shows, including "Tales That Witness Madness" and "The Odessa File". She also had leading roles in several short-lived dramas and sitcoms, and was a regular guest panelist on the morning quiz show "Crosswits".
In the 1990s, Tamm appeared in the soap opera "Brookside" and had a recurring role in the show. She also began working on her autobiography, which was published in 2009. Tamm continued to work on the second volume of her autobiography at the time of her death from cancer in July 2012.
Tamm is survived by her only daughter, Lauren, and remains a popular figure in the science fiction fandom.
