Lalla Ward

Lalla Ward (born Sarah Jill Ward; 28 June 1951) is an English actress and author. She is known for her role as Romana in the BBC television series Doctor Who. 2Career 3Early career Ward's stage name, "Lalla", comes from her attempts as a toddler to pronounce her own name. She left school at age 14 because she "loathed every single minute of it", and took her O-levels on her own. Ward studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama from 1968 to 1971. After spending a few years painting, she auditioned at London drama schools "as a sort of dare" to herself: It was a 'see if you can do it' sort of thing, because it was the thing I hated most—just like somebody who's scared of heights might go rock climbing, or, I don't know, go potholing if they're claustrophobic. Ward began her acting career in the Hammer horror film Vampire Circus (1972), and played Lottie, the teenage daughter of Louisa Trotter (Gemma Jones) in The Duchess of Duke Street, the popular BBC drama series of the 1970s. She appeared in the films England Made Me (1973), Matushka (1973), Rosebud (1975), and Crossed Swords (or The Prince and the Pauper) (1977). In 1974 she acted in a film called Got It Made, which was later recut with sex scenes featuring other actresses and released in 1978 as Sweet Virgin. Club International magazine ran nude pictures from the film, claiming they were of her, and Ward successfully sued the magazin