Wanda Ventham (born 5 August 1935) is an English actress with many roles on British television since beginning her career in the 1950s.
Ventham played Colonel Virginia Lake in the 1970s science-fiction television series UFO and had a recurring role as Cassandra Trotter's mother Pamela Parry in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses between 1989 and 1992. Her many other television appearances include Danger Man, The Rag Trade, The Sweeney, The Avengers, The Saint, Doctor Who, The Gentle Touch, Minder, Heartbeat and Holby City, and she appeared in two Carry On films.
In April 2014, People magazine featured her in its "Most Beautiful People in the World" edition.
Early life Ventham was born in Brighton on 5 August 1935, the daughter of Gladys Frances (née Holtham) and Frederick Howard Ventham.Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916–2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office.FreeBMD. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837–1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. Originally aspiring to become an artist, she attended art school for a year whilst working as a scenic painter for the Connaught Theatre in Worthing, West Sussex, during her school holidays. The exposure to professional theatre prompted her to leave art school and pursue a career in acting.Ventham, Wanda. Audio commentary for "Timelash". In: The Complete UFO Megaset (DVD). A&E Home Entertainment. 2003. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, as a contemporary of Judi Dench,Martin, Annie (19 September 2014) "Benedict Cumberbatch is 'a true gentleman,' says Judi Dench". UPI Entertainment. graduating in 1956.Central School of Speech and Drama Alumni Newsletter, July 2012, issue 19, pg. 19
Career Ventham's first film role was in My Teenage Daughter (1956), with Dame Anna Neagle and Sylvia Syms. She also appeared as a debutante in 1962 with a ten-second talking role in the Norman Wisdom film On the Beat and in 1963 as a nurse in the Norman Wisdom film A Stitch in Time – both were uncredited.
She also appeared in Carry On Cleo (1964) and Carry On Up the Khyber (1968). She starred alongside Mark Burns in the mystery film Death Is a Woman (1966). Her best-known role was on television as Col. Virginia Lake, second-in-command to Commander Ed Straker (Ed Bishop), in the cult series UFO.
Ventham's numerous other TV credits include regular roles in Heartbeat as Fiona Weston, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates as Margaret Balshaw, and in Series 2 and 3 of 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 starred opposite Ian Hendry in the 15-part BBC series The Lotus Eaters (1972–73), had a recurring role in the final series of The Troubleshooters, and made a guest appearance in the fifth episode of the first season of the BBC Two sketch show Rutland Weekend Television. She was in an episode of Danger Man, and the series Patrick McGoohan completed immediately afterwards – the allegorical spy series The Prisoner – as well as 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, with whom she would later act when they were cast as Pamela and Alan Parry in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses (1989–1992).
In 2014, she and her husband Timothy Carlton appeared in the BBC adaptation of Sherlock as the parents of Sherlock Holmes, who is played by their son Benedict Cumberbatch. Ventham appeared in Holby City as Sheilagh Chiltern, the grandmother of Lofty Chiltern.
Personal life Ventham married her first husband James Tabernacle in 1957 and they had one daughter, Tracy. They divorced on 12 November 1974. She met actor Timothy Carlton in 1970 while filming sequences for the drama series A Family at War and they have been married since April 1976.Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916–2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. The couple appeared together in the second series of BBC drama The Lotus Eaters in 1973, and in the third and fourth series of BBC's Sherlock in 2014 and 2017, where they played the title character's parents, with their son, actor Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the title role of Sherlock Holmes.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 My Teenage Daughter Gina 1959 The Navy Lark Mabel1961We Joined the NavyThe "Initiative test" girl1962Solo for SparrowWaitress 1963 The Cracksman Sandra 1964 Carry On Cleo Pretty Bidder Uncredited 1965 The Big Job Dot Franklin The Knack ...and How to Get It Gym Mistress Uncredited 1966 Death Is a Woman Priscilla Blunstone-Smythe The Spy with a Cold Nose Mrs. Winters 1967 Mister Ten Per Cent Kathy 1968 The Blood Beast Terror Clare Mallinger Ventham also provided stunt work for the film and appeared in costume as the giant moth monster. Carry On Up the Khyber Khasi's First Wife 1974 Invasion: UFO Col. Virginia Lake Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter Lady Durward 2002 Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War Victoria 2005 Asylum Bridie Straffen 2012 Run for Your Wife Lady on Bus Cameo 2016 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Violet
Television Year Title Role Notes1959-1962ITV Television PlayhousePenny/Morya2 episodes1961-1966No Hiding PlaceJanet Farley/Liz Forster1962The Edgar Wallace Mystery TheaterWaitressEpisode: "Solo for Sparrow" 1962–1963 The Rag Trade Shirley Seasons 2-31963BBC Sunday-Night PlayJulieEpisode: "Two by the Sea #2: Wedding Bells"1964The Human JungleNurseEpisode: "Success Machine" ThorndykeMaud Episode: "A Case of Premeditation" 1964–1965 Danger Man Stella DorsetPenny 2 episodes 1964–1966 The Saint Laura Stride/Penny Pearson1965The Worker SandraEpisode: "No Automation Without Representation" The Likely Lads Angela Episode: "Last of the Big Spenders" The Avengers Nurse SprayEpisode: "The Gravediggers"1966Two of a Kind Auntie Yum Yum/Ern's Wife2 episodesThe Rat CatchersKjellin/GerdeHugh and IEpisode: "Tooting Footlights"Armchair TheatreJulie/Milly Craddock2 episodesMrs ThursdayRowena GrantEpisode: "Hunter's Moon"Watch the Birdies Irene GrantMiniseriesOut of the UnknownJosephineEpisode: "The Eye"1967ITV Play of the WeekEricaEpisode: "Dr. De Waldo's Therapy" The Prisoner Computer Attendant Episode: "It's Your Funeral"1968City '68AlisonEpisode: "Love Thy Neighbour" The Caesars Ennia Episode: "Caligula"Love Story BirgitEpisode: "The Vast Horizons of the Mind" 1967–1971 The Troubleshooters Moira Hart 4 episodes 196719771987 Doctor Who Jean RockThea Ransome/Fendahl CoreFaroon Serials: "The Faceless Ones", "Image of the Fendahl" and "Time and the Rani" 1969 The Gold Robbers Dee Latter Episode: "An Oddly Honest Man" Department S Leila RankinEpisode: "The Man from 'X'"Dixon of Dock GreenDebbie FranklinEpisode: "Bobby" 1970 Z-Cars Mrs. OwenEpisode: "By Bread Alone Part One" 1970–1971 A Family At War Jenny Graham 3 episodes UFO Col. Virginia Lake 9 episodes 1970 Doctor at Large Maggie Weston Episode: "Mr. Moon"1971 Thirty-Minute Theatre JasmineEpisode: "Walt, King of the Dumper"IMDBThe Fenn Street GangElinorEpisode: "Change Partners" 1972–1973 The Lotus Eaters Ann Shepherd Miniseries 1975 The Sweeney Brenda Episode: "Abduction"Softly, Softly: Task ForceJulie BrentEpisode: "The Talking Doll" Rutland Weekend Television Various characters 2 episodes 1976 Emmerdale Farm Heather Bannerman 6 episodes 1977 Crown Court Sybil Halstead 2 serials 1978–1979 Fallen Hero Dorothy Hopkins Lead role; 11 episodes 1980 The Two Ronnies Jack 2 episodes 1982 Minder Beryl Murdoch Episode: "Dreamhouse" Union Castle Ursula, Lady Thaxted 7 episodesThe Further Adventures of Lucky JimVeronica Allen Episode: "A Foot in the Door"The Brack ReportKate RandallChapter 71982Only When I LaughFionaEpisode: "Conduct Unbecoming" 1984 Killer ContractDorothy Routledge TV film 1986–1987 Executive Stress Sylvia Recurring; 4 episodes 1988 All Creatures Great and Small Mrs. Ridge Episode: "The Jackpot" 1989 Capstick's Law Madge Capstick 6 episodesBoonMarion KershawEpisode: "Of Meissen Men" 1989–1992 Only Fools and Horses Pamela Parry (Cassandra's Mum) 4 episodes1993Just a Gigolo Marge Payne3 episodes 1995–1996 Next of Kin Rosie 6 episodes 1996–1997 Heartbeat Fiona Weston 4 episodes1997Alas Smith and JonesEpisode: "Cookery" Men Behaving Badly Penny (Deborah's Mum) Episode: "Ten"1998The Vanishing ManMrs. BraithwaiteEpisode: "Nothing Up My Sleeve"Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesMargaret Balshaw2 episodesCasualty Mrs. SeabrookEpisode: "Everlasting Love"2000Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)Alice FullcupEpisode: "Mental Apparition Disorder" 2001 Coupling Edna (Susan's Mum)Episode: "My Dinner in Hell" 2005 Midsomer Murders Romany RoseEpisode: "Second Sight" 2007 Lewis Eleanor MalloryEpisode: "Expiation" 2014–2017 Sherlock Mrs. Holmes (Sherlock Holmes' mother) Episodes: "The Empty Hearse", "His Last Vow" and "The Final Problem" 2014–2018 Holby City Sheilagh Chiltern Recurring; 10 episodes 2018 Father Brown Ellen Jennings Episode: "The Angel of Mercy" 2019 Departure Wendy 2 episodes 2020 Penance Fay 3 episodes
Theatre Year Title Role Venue 1960 Watch It, Sailor! Daphne Pink Apollo Theatre, London 1979 Julius Caesar Portia Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester 1990 Out of Order Pamela Shaftesbury Theatre, London 1992 It Runs in the Family Rosemary Mortimore Playhouse Theatre, London 2002 One for the Pot Amy Hardcastle Theatre Royal, Windsor 2012 Quartet Cissy Theatre-on-the-Bay, Cape Town 2014 Entertaining Angels Ruth
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