Wendy Padbury

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Wendy Padbury
Wendy Padbury 2015.jpg
Padbury in 2015
Born (1947-12-07) 7 December 1947 (age 73)
Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, England
OccupationActor, Theatrical Agent
Known forZoe Heriot in Doctor Who (1968–1969)
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1987)​
Children2

Wendy Padbury (born 7 December 1947) is a British actress. She has appeared in television series since 1966, including as Zoe Heriot, a companion to Patrick Troughton's Doctor in Doctor Who, from 1968 to 1969.

Early life[]

Before becoming an actress Padbury took ballet classes, but these came to an end due to her flat feet. She replaced ballet with Saturday morning drama classes with a strong emphasis on elocution.[1]

Career[]

Padbury came to prominence in 1966 when she joined the cast of the long-running ATV soap opera Crossroads after she came second in the television talent contest Search for a Star. For her initial song in the contest she chose "(When I Marry) Mr. Snow" and made the unusual decision to sing a capella. Afterwards, the guest celebrity, Stubby Kaye, praised her very highly and predicted that she would go far, somewhat to the embarrassment of the presenter since, at that point, no one contestant should have been singled out. In Crossroads, she played the role of Stephanie "Stevie" Harris, foster daughter to the show's main character, Meg Mortimer (Noele Gordon).

She was cast as the Second Doctor's new companion, Zoe Heriot, in Doctor Who in 1968. She became very close to her co-stars Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton, the latter playing the Doctor. Padbury tells many fond stories about the practical jokes they would play on each other during rehearsals.[1]

Her connection with Doctor Who after she left the programme (at the same time as Hines and Troughton) was not quite over. She appeared in Doctor Who and the Daleks in the Seven Keys to Doomsday (1974), a stage play at the Adelphi Theatre London based on the television series, in which she played a companion named Jenny, opposite Trevor Martin as the Doctor. She then made an appearance, again with Hines and Troughton in Doctor Who's 20th anniversary story, The Five Doctors.[2]

Her other roles include co-presenter of the second series of Score with the Scaffold. She appeared in three series of the children's television adventure programme Freewheelers playing the part of Sue Craig.[3] She made a series of appearances as Rosemary Roberts in the British soap opera Emmerdale (then known by its original title Emmerdale Farm), coincidentally opposite Frazer Hines, one of the major stars of that show.

Her film appearances included a brief role in Charlie Bubbles (1967) with Albert Finney,[4] and Piers Haggard's cult British horror film The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) as the unfortunate Cathy Vespers.[5] Coincidentally, she appeared alongside actor Anthony Ainley who a decade later would take the role of The Master in Doctor Who, including the above mentioned episode, The Five Doctors.

In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Padbury explained that she no longer appeared at Doctor Who conventions nor spoke about her time on the programme, as she felt she no longer had anything new to say about her time in the show.[citation needed] However, following her retirement she returned to the convention scene and was a guest at Gallifrey One in 2009 where she spoke about how she first met new Doctor actor, Matt Smith.[citation needed]

Padbury is now retired and lives in France,[6] having previously worked as a theatrical agent.[7] Nicholas Courtney, Colin Baker and Mark Strickson, all former Doctor Who actors, were among her clients. She discovered Matt Smith at the National Youth Theatre.[8]

Personal life[]

Padbury attended Alcester Grammar School in Warwickshire. She was married to Melvyn Hayes from 1974 to 1987,[9] with whom she had two daughters, Joanna (born 1974) and actress Charlotte (born 1977).

Filmography[]

Films[]

Year Title Role Notes
1967 Charlie Bubbles Woman in Cafe
1971 The Blood on Satan's Claw Cathy Vespers

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Crossroads Stevie Harris 44 episodes
1968–69 Doctor Who Zoe Heriot 48 episodes
1971 Z-Cars Christina Episode: Kid's Stuff
Score with the Scaffold Presenter
1971–73 Freewheelers Sue Craig 39 episodes
1974 Crown Court Fiona Sumner Episode: The Getaway
1983 Doctor Who: The Five Doctors Zoe Heriot TV Special
1987 Emmerdale Rosemary Roberts 6 episodes
1991 The Bill Manageress Episode: The Negotiator

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Interview with Wendy Padbury by Alan Stevens and Alistair Lock". Magic Bullet Productions. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide – The Five Doctors". BBC. 25 November 1983. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  3. ^ McGown, Alistair D.; Docherty, Mark J. (2003). The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama: An Encyclopedia. British Film Institute. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0-85170-879-X.
  4. ^ "Charlie Bubbles (1967)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  5. ^ Duvoli, John (September 1971). Clarke, Frederick S. (ed.). "Film Review: Blood on Satan's Claw". Cinefantastique (4): 29–31.
  6. ^ "Wendy Padbury". Doctor Who Interview Archive. 15 February 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  7. ^ Martin, Dan (28 March 2013). "The Mind Robber: Doctor Who classic episode #4". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Good Hunting Sister!". Doctor Who Magazine. No. 408. p. 38.
  9. ^ Pedder, Eddie (1985). Who's Who on Television. ITV Books in association with M. Joseph. p. 115. ISBN 0907965318.

External links[]

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