Biography

Career

Jameson was born in Wanstead, London. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and spent two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Summerfolk, and Blithe Spirit. In 1995 she appeared in the RSC production of Botho Strauß's The Park. Other stage appearances include the first production of Peter Nichols's Passion Play produced at the Aldwych Theatre, London, in 1981.

She appeared opposite Mike Raven in the low budget British horror film Disciple of Death (1972). Her early TV career highlights included appearances on Emmerdale in 1973 (as Sharon Crossthwaite), as Leela, the leather-clad barbarian warrior companion of the fourth Doctor in Doctor Who (1977-78), and in The Omega Factor (1979) as Dr. Anne Reynolds.

She later had a leading role as Blanche Simmons in the first two series of Tenko, her favourite job, before starring for five years in the late 1980s in Bergerac as Susan Young, Jim Bergerac's girlfriend. In the mid-1980s, she played Tania Braithwaite, Pandora's mother, in both 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4' and 'The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole' for Thames Television. In the early 1990s she starred in the two series of Rides, and made numerous one-off appearances in various TV drama series, as well as numerous Doctor Who spin-off projects including the 1993 Children in Need special Dimensions in Time.

In 1998 she began a long run in the hit BBC soap EastEnders as Rosa di Marco, appearing in over 200 episodes over two and a half years until August 2000. More recently she has appeared in episodes of the BBC Scotland soap River City as Viv Roberts, as a guest artist in episodes of Doctors, Holby City and The Bill, and as a regular in Doc Martin.

She continues to reprise the characters of Leela and Anne Reynolds in audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions and has also starred in Sapphire & Steel and Dark Shadows audio dramas for the same company. She has also appeared in documentaries and commentaries accompanying numerous BBC DVD releases of her Doctor Who serials.

Jameson is the subject of MJTV's The Actor Speaks Volume 5, where she discusses herself, her acting career and the various series she has been in.

In 2007, Jameson toured nationally in her one-woman show, Face Value, inspired by her near decision to have a face-lift.

In 2013, Louise starred in the play Gutted by Rikki Beadle-Blair and has been nominated for Best Female Performance at the 2013 Off West End Theatre Awards (Offies). In November 2013 she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

Personal life

She attended the independent Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill.

Jameson was married to Martin Bedford. She is also good friends with her Big Finish Productions co-star Lalla Ward. For many years she has lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Jameson was a regular prison visitor, monitoring prisoners' welfare, during the first few years of her career; and, during the early 1970s, she met Leslie Grantham at Leyhill Prison in Gloucestershire, where he was serving 12 years of a life sentence for murder. She encouraged Grantham to become an actor; and, by 1985, he had secured the role of Den Watts in EastEnders.

Jameson also works as a teacher of drama, directing youth productions of Shakespeare for local festivals.

TV and filmography

1995 Wycliffe Series 2 Episode 7 "Wild Oats" First aired 30 July 1995 Role - Silly Tilly

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Disciple of Death	Betty
1973	Emmerdale	Sharon Crossthwaite	4 episodes
1975	Space: 1999	Survivor (uncredited)	1 episode: "Mission of the Darians"
1977-1978	Doctor Who	Leela	9 stories (40 episodes)
1979	The Omega Factor	Dr. Anne Reynolds	10 episodes
1981-1982	Tenko	Blanche Simmons	13 episodes
1985-1990	Bergerac	Susan Young	35 episodes
1990-1995	Casualty	Janet Tolchard / Judy	2 episodes in total
1991-2004	The Bill	Julie Willets / Irene Harris	3 episodes
1992-1993	Rides	Janet	10 episodes
1992	My Friend Walker	Joan Throckmorton	TV movie
1998-2000	EastEnders	Rosa di Marco	210 episodes
2006-2015	Doctors	Celeste / Shirley Carter / Joanna Chippington / Andrea Dodson	4 episodes in total
2008	River City	Viv Roberts / Viv	TV Series; 3 episodes
2011	The Vessel	Kim's Mum	TV Series; 2 episodes
2011	Doc Martin	Eleanor Glasson	5 episodes
2011	Cleaning Up	Mrs. Pellman	Short
2012	Run for Your Wife	Lady in gym class
2012	Holby City	Mary Thorne	1 episode: "Fault Lines"
2013	The Dumping Ground	Angel	1 episode: "The Truth Is Out There"
2013	Mother Knows Best	Stephanie Harper	video short
2013	The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot	Louise Jameson	TV movie
2013	The Tractate Middoth	Mary Simpson	TV Movie
2014	A Quiet Courage	Doreen	Short
2014	Toast of London	Wendy Nook	1 episode: "Match Fit"
2015	Modern Love	Mum	(filming)
2015	Crossing Over	Angela Winters	Short (pre-production)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]