Carole Ann Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carole Ann Ford
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Ford in 1986
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| Born |
Carole Ann Lillian Higgins
16 June 1940 |
| Education | Barking Abbey Grammar School |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1948–present |
| Known for | First Doctor Who companion The Day of the Triffids |
| Television | Doctor Who (1963–1964, 1983, 1993, 2025) |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
Carole Ann Ford, born Carole Ann Lillian Higgins on June 16, 1940, is a British actress. She is most famous for playing Susan Foreman in the BBC science fiction TV show Doctor Who. She also played Bettina in the 1962 movie The Day of the Triffids.
Contents
Early Life and Acting Career
Carole Ann Ford has had a long and varied career in acting. She performed in many plays, including comedies, dramas, and musicals. Some of her stage roles were in The Jungle Book, Pride and Prejudice, and Sleeping Beauty.
Film and TV Roles
Ford appeared in several movies. She was in The Day of the Triffids (1962) as Bettina, a girl who could not see. Other films include Mix Me a Person (1962) and The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966).
On television, besides Doctor Who, she appeared in shows like Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? and Emergency Ward 10. She also took part in quiz shows and did many voice-overs.
Becoming a Doctor Who Companion
In 1963, Carole Ann Ford had an audition for the role of Susan in Doctor Who. She was chosen to play Susan Foreman, the granddaughter of the Doctor. She was one of the first three companions to travel with the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell.
Susan Foreman's Story
Susan was the "Unearthly Child" mentioned in the very first episode of Doctor Who. Like the Doctor, she was from the planet Gallifrey. Originally, Susan was meant to have special powers, like telepathy, and be able to fly the TARDIS. However, her character was made more ordinary in the show.
Susan left the series in 1964 during the story The Dalek Invasion of Earth. She returned for special episodes later on.
Later Doctor Who Appearances
Carole Ann Ford came back as Susan for the show's 20th-anniversary special, "The Five Doctors" (1983). She also appeared in the 30th-anniversary charity special, Dimensions in Time (1993). In 1995, she played a different character named Zorelle in the Doctor Who spin-off film Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans.
Since the 2000s, Ford has returned to acting more often. She has played Susan again in many Doctor Who audio plays by Big Finish Productions. These audio stories include An Earthly Child, where her character met the Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann.
Doctor Who Anniversaries and Beyond
In 2013, a TV drama called An Adventure in Space and Time told the story of how Doctor Who was created. Carole Ann Ford was played by Claudia Grant in this show. Ford herself had a small role in it as a character named Joyce.
In November 2013, Ford also appeared as herself in a comedy special called The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. She also narrated a behind-the-scenes look at the making of An Adventure In Space And Time. In this, she talked about working with William Hartnell.
In May 2025, Carole Ann Ford returned to Doctor Who once more. She played Susan in the episode "The Interstellar Song Contest". This marked 62 years between her first and most recent time playing the character.
As of July 2025, she is the last surviving credited cast member from the very first Doctor Who story, An Unearthly Child.
Images for kids
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Ford in costume while filming The Day of the Triffids in 1961
See also
In Spanish: Carole Ann Ford para niños
