Mary Tamm

Mary Tamm 22 March 1950 26 July 2012 was a British actress who appeared in many British TV drama series and serials She is best known for her role as Romana I in the BBCs science fiction television series Doctor Who appearing opposite Tom Baker in the 19781979 story arc The Key to Time Tamm was born in Bradford West Riding of Yorkshire to an Estonian father and a halfRussian mother who was an opera singer Her parents had fled Estonia after four of her fathers brothers had died in Stalins gulag labour camps Tamm spoke only Estonian at home and attended Estonianlanguage school on Saturdays She did not begin learning English until she was enrolled in primary school At age 11 she won a scholarship to attend Bradford Girls Grammar School and joined the citys Civic Theatre She was a graduate and an associate member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she studied from 1969 to 1971