Wanda Ventham
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2011) |
| Wanda Ventham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 August 1935 [1] Brighton, Sussex, England, U.K. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouse | Timothy Carlton |
| Children | Benedict Cumberbatch |
Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress, mainly on television. She is a familiar face in many television series in Britain, although she has never achieved star status. She is well known for her role as Col. Virginia Lake in the 1970 science fiction TV series UFO, and for her recurring role in Only Fools and Horses as Pamela Parry (Cassandra's mother) (1989–1992). She also appeared in TV series The Saint with Roger Moore in multiple episodes.
Contents |
[edit] Life and career
Ventham was born in Brighton, Sussex, England.[1] She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.
Her first appearance on film was in a British drama called My Teenage Daughter with Anna Neagle and Sylvia Syms in 1956. She also appeared in the films Carry On Cleo (1964) and Carry On Up the Khyber (1968).
Her numerous television credits included regular roles in Heartbeat as Fiona Weston (1996–1997); Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Margaret Balshaw; and The Rag Trade as Shirley (1962–1963). She also played a love interest for Arthur Daley in Minder; Susan's mother in Coupling; and Deborah's mother in Men Behaving Badly. She had the lead role in the 15-part BBC TV series The Lotus Eaters in 1972-73, starring with Ian Hendry; and made a guest appearance in Rutland Weekend Television, the first TV series made by comic Eric Idle after Monty Python's Flying Circus came to an end. Other comedy roles included appearances on The Two Ronnies.
She has appeared in Doctor Who on three occasions over three decades: playing Jean Rock in The Faceless Ones (1967), Thea Ransome in Image of the Fendahl (1977) and Faroon in Time and the Rani (1987); and had a small role in the science fiction drama The Prisoner, and the sitcoms Executive Stress and Next of Kin.
Wanda's appearance in the Doctor Who serial "Image of the Fendahl" was alongside Denis Lill. Wanda and Denis would go on to play Pamela and Alan Parry in the British comedy series Only Fools and Horses.
[edit] Personal life
Ventham is married to the actor Timothy Carlton. Their son is the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. She has a daughter, Tracy, from her first marriage to James Tabernacle.
[edit] Filmography
- My Teenage Daughter (1956)
- Carry On Cleo (1964)
- The Big Job (1965)
- Mister Ten Per Cent (1967)
- The Blood Beast Terror (1968)
- Carry On Up the Khyber (1968)
- Invasion:UFO (1974)
- Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War (2002)
- Asylum (2005)
