- Elisabeth Sladen was a famous actress
- She starred in Doctor Who
- Learn more about her life and career in memoriam
Doctor Who's Elisabeth Sladen was born February 1, 1946, in Liverpool, England. Sladen's stage career would start in the late 1960s in smaller performances eventually leading up to bigger roles. Sladen's earliest roles include:
- a maid in Twelfth Night
- a corpse in The Physicists
- "Desdemona" in Othello
- and as "Anita Reynolds" in the long-standing soap opera, Coronation Street.
After moving to London with her husband, actor Brian Miller, Elisabeth would land a guest spot on the series Z-Spot, which would lead to the most well-known role of her career.
Elisabeth Salden's Career in Doctor Who
Doctor Who would bring Elisabeth Sladen onboard in 1973 after Katy Manning, the actress playing the "Third Doctor's" assistant, left the show. Ron Craddock, the producer of Z-Cars, would give Sladen a glowing referral for the part.
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Sladen would stay on the show for three and a half seasons, playing assistant "Sarah Jane" to both the "Third Doctor" (Jon Pertwee) and the "Fourth Doctor" (Tom Baker). Sladen has also made a number of appearances in later seasons of the series appearing alongside the "Tenth Doctor" played by David Tennant.
Elisabeth Sladen's Legacy
Elisabeth Sladen's legacy continues to live on through the show as well as through the Doctor Who spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures. In April of 2011, the world lost a legend. Only 65 at the time of her passing, Sladen's death came as a shock to all.
The talented actress was diagnosed with cancer in February of 2011 and would pass away just two months later. Following her death, the first episode of Doctor Who would air dedicated to Elisabeth Sladen's memory followed by a special TV program honoring the late actress.
