Wanda Ventham

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Wanda Ventham bigraphy, stories - English actress

Wanda Ventham : biography

5 August 1935 –

Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress, known primarily for her role as Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science-fiction television series UFO, and for her recurring role as Pamela Parry (Cassandra’s mother) in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses from 1989 to 1992. She also appeared in several episodes of The Saint alongside Sir Roger Moore. She also appeared in the series 2 episode of Danger Man "A Man to be Trusted."

Life and career

Ventham was born in Brighton, Sussex. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Her first film role was in My Teenage Daughter (1956), with Anna Neagle and Sylvia Syms. She also appeared in Carry On Cleo (1964) and Carry On Up the Khyber (1968).

Ventham’s numerous TV credits include regular roles in Heartbeat as Fiona Weston, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Margaret Balshaw, and The Rag Trade as Shirley. 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 appeared in the lead role in the 15-part BBC series The Lotus Eaters (1972–73), opposite Ian Hendry, and made a guest appearance in Rutland Weekend Television. She had small roles in the science-fiction drama The Prisoner, the sitcoms Executive Stress and Next of Kin, and the sketch show The Two Ronnies.

She has appeared in Doctor Who on three occasions over three decades: as Jean Rock in The Faceless Ones (1967), as Thea Ransome in Image of the Fendahl (1977) and as Faroon in Time and the Rani (1987). Her appearance in Image of the Fendahl was opposite Denis Lill. Ventham and Lill would later play Pamela and Alan Parry in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

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)

Personal life

Ventham is married to actor Timothy Carlton. Their son is actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Ventham has a daughter, Tracy, from her first marriage, to James Tabernacle. She owns a collection of barn owls.