Doctor Who star Elisabeth Sladen, 63, dies after cancer battle

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:10 PM on 19th April 2011

Doctor Who actress Elisabeth Sladen has died following a battle with cancer. She was 63.
The Liverpool-born star, who played the Doctor's assistant Sarah Jane Smith since the Seventies, passed away this morning after suffering from the illness for some time.
The BBC confirmed her death in a statement: 'It is with much sadness that we can announce Elisabeth Sladen, the much-loved actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and CBBC's The Sarah Jane Adventures, passed away this morning. She was 63.'

Cult TV star: Actress Elisabeth Sladen died on Tuesday morning following a battle with cancer

She joined the cast of Doctor Who in 1973 playing the assistant to Jon Pertwee's incarnation as the Time Lord.
Sladen remained on the BBC show for a further three and a half seasons, continuing to assist the Doctor in his next incarnation as Tom Baker, before leaving in 1976.
As one of the most popular Dr Who assistant ever, the character of Sarah Jane was brought back for the new series, appearing alongside David Tennant.

Starting out: A young Sladen as Sarah Jane alongside Jon Pertwee as The Doctor in Doctor Who in the early Seventies

Popular: Sladen appeared alongside the current Dr, Matt Smith in an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures

In a 2006 interview ahead of rejoining the series, she said: 'I think it has lovely layers and I'd defend the programme to anyone.
'I'm very emotionally part of that programme and I think a lot of the people who worked on it are. You used to love going to work every day.'
Her return to the franchise was such a success, she then appeared in a spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, which was broadcast on CBBC.

TV classic: She remained on the show when Tom Baker replaced Pertwee as the Doctor in 1975

The show proved popular with young fans with the fourth series being screened last autumn.
The BBC had planned to produce a fifth series, but that now looks unlikely following her death.
Sladen is survived by her actor husband of 42 years, Brian Miller and their actress daughter Sadie.
Among the stars paying tribute on Twitter was Dr Who fan Jonathan Ross, who wrote: 'RIp Elisabeth Sladen aka Sarah Jane. Sad news.'

Long marriage: Sladen is survived by her husband of 42 years, actor Brian Miller

19 April 2011 Last updated at 22:22

Doctor Who's Elisabeth Sladen dies aged 63

Elisabeth Sladen originally starred in Doctor Who for three years in the 1970s

Doctor Who star Elisabeth Sladen, who was also in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, has died aged 63.

Sladen appeared as Doctor Who assistant Sarah Jane Smith in the BBC television sci-fi series between 1973 and 1976, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.
The Liverpool-born actress appeared in four series from 2007 of The Sarah Jane Adventures on children's channel CBBC.
Sladen had been battling cancer for some time and leaves actor husband Brian Miller and daughter Sadie.
Theatre work A BBC spokesman said: "It is with much sadness that we can announce Elisabeth Sladen, the much-loved actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and CBBC's The Sarah Jane Adventures, passed away this morning."
Sladen first appeared as Sarah Jane alongside the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, and stayed for three-and-a-half seasons, also working with the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.
Her character, a journalist, was renowned for being inquisitive and stronger than some of the Doctor's other assistants.
After her time in the Tardis, Sladen returned to her native Liverpool where she worked in theatre.
She returned to the role on several occasions over the years and was given her own spin-off series on CBBC in 2007, in which she appeared with the most recent two Doctors, David Tennant and Matt Smith.
In 2006, ahead of rejoining Doctor Who, Sladen said of the programme: "I think it has lovely layers and I'd defend the programme to anyone.
"I'm very emotionally part of that programme and I think a lot of the people who worked on it are. You used to love going to work every day."
'Brilliant presence' CBBC controller Damian Kavanagh said he was "deeply saddened and shocked by the news of Lis's untimely death".
"Lis brought joy, excitement and a sense of wonder to her many fans in her role as Sarah Jane Smith. She was adored by our young audience and I know all of them will miss her as much as I will," he said.
Russell T Davies, the creator of The Sarah Jane Adventures, said: "I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith, the world was lucky to have Lis."
Keith Jones, the director of BBC Wales, which makes The Sarah Jane Adventures, said: "The Sarah Jane Adventures has been one of the most successful children's programmes on television in recent years - and without Elisabeth Sladen it would not have happened.
"A brilliant presence on screen and on set, she brought the excitement and energy of the Doctor Who family of programmes, of which we are very proud at BBC Wales, to a whole new generation. She will be missed by all at BBC Wales who worked with her."
Sladen's agent Roger Carey described her as a "dear friend".
He said: "She was so positive about life and her natural energy was intoxicating. She couldn't believe her luck when her career was resurrected in her own series."
Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat said she had been a "ferociously talented actress".

Elisabeth Sladen 1948-2011

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 - Posted by Chuck Foster

It is with great sadness that we have to report that the actress Elisabeth Sladen - forever known to us as the Doctor's best friend, Sarah Jane Smith - has died. The news, which was broken on Twitter earlier today, has since been confirmed via Twitter by Doctor Who Magazine and by BBC News.

Born in Liverpool in February 1948, Sladen was cast as intrepid journalist Sarah Jane by producer Barry Letts in 1973, making her debut in The Time Warrior, and appeared alongside Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor throughout his final season in the role. Smith was present when the Doctor regenerated into his Fourth incarnation in Planet of the Spiders, and Sladen's partnership with Pertwee's successor Tom Baker went on to become one of the most iconic Doctor-companion partnerships in Doctor Who's long history.

Despite choosing to leave the programme in 1976, with an emotional departure scene at the conclusion of the serial The Hand of Fear, Smith later stated in interviews that although she had left Sarah Jane, "Sarah Jane never left me". Although she declined producer John Nathan-Turner's offer to come back as Sarah to bridge the changeover between the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, she returned to the role for the 1981 pilot programme K9 and Company and for a guest appearance in the 1983 20th anniversary celebration The Five Doctors, and continued to appear in radio and audio stories, documentaries and at fan conventions across the following two decades.

With the return of Doctor Who to television in 2005, however, Sladen unexpectedly found herself back on BBC One screens when she made a guest appearance in the 2006 episode School Reunion, where Sarah was emotionally reunited with the Doctor, now played by David Tennant. The character, and Sladen's performance, proved to be as popular as ever, if not more so, and the following year she was given a starring role in her own spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures. This won Sladen and her character a whole new legion of fans, both young and old, and continued the adventures of unquestionably one of Doctor Who's most popular characters.