Tom Baker Pays Tribute To Mary Tamm

Tom Baker has paid tribute to his former Doctor Who co-star Mary Tamm who passed away last week at the age of 62 following a battle with cancer.

Tamm starred alongside Baker for a single season of Doctor Who between 1978 and 1979 in a series of connected stories under the umbrella of “Keys to Time”. Tamm played the Time Lady Romana who has assigned, by the White Guardian, to help the Doctor (Baker) find the different parts of the Key To Time.

After a single season in the role of Romana the actress decided to leave and recommended Lalla Ward as a replacement for the part. Following the news of Tamm’s death last week Baker paid tribute to her in a statement which said “She was a darling companion and wonderfully witty and kind. I’m so sorry to hear of her death.”.

Baker has now written a longer tribute to his former co-star on his official website where he wrote “The dreadful news of Mary Tamm’s death amazed me. I had no idea she was ill. We got on terribly well and I admired her wit and style and warmth. ..We used to meet at different Who conventions and sometimes had time for a little chat. I remember meeting her at Heathrow in the first class section: her section, of course. She was flicking through a magazine and sipping a beer: the epitome of cool style.”

Baker went on to reflect on the recent passing of two other former Doctor Who co-stars; Caroline John, who played Dr. Elisabeth Shaw alongside Jon Pertwee, who died in June and Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane Smith opposite Pertwee and Baker himself, who died in April 2011. “Fate is capricious and quite indifferent to our fears..Lovely girls: Elisabeth Sladen, Caroline John and now Mary Tamm: all dead. And here am I closing in on 80 and all I’ve had was whooping cough! It’s not fair, is it?”

While Mary Tamm will be best remembered for her time in Doctor Who the actress also had regular roles in shows such as Brookside and Paradise Heights as well as guest starring in episodes of Poirot, Crime Traveller, EastEnders, Doctors and Jonathan Creek.