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Sunday 6 April 2014

RIP Kate O'Mara (1939-2014)

A brief tribute to the actress who gave us the Rani in Doctor Who and countless other exemplary performances.
We are deeply saddened to report the passing of Kate O'Mara, an immeasurably talented British actress who left us on Sunday March 30th. Kate contracted a fatal illness last month and passed away as a result of this affliction in a care home in Sussex.

For many of this writer's generation, Kate is likely to be remembered for her contribution to the BBC's hit science-fiction drama Doctor Who in the 1980s as the character of the Rani, a renegade Time Lady who battled with the Doctor on multiple occasions during the lives of his sixth and seventh incarnations. However, the subject of this obituary piece was beloved for so much more than just her work on Who, with her other notable performances including roles in The Avengers, The Two Ronnies, Dynasty and The Brothers. To have passed away at just 74 is undoubtedly a great tragedy in this current era of medical innovation, but we hope that Kate's family and fanbase can at least take solace in the fact that she clearly lived both her life and screen career to the full during the time that we as a society and an entertainment industry spent in her company.

Our thoughts go out to Kate's family and friends in what is sure to be a prolonged period of immense grief and contemplation upon the joyful times they had with her over the course of her life. As is the case with all of the great actors of our time (and times gone by), there are countless video clips which we could use to demonstrate but a fragment of her talents, but we've opted for a segment from the 1980s Doctor Who story The Mark of the Rani to bring things full circle.

Rest In Peace, Kate.

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