Deborah Watling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deborah Watling
Watling in 2008
Born	Deborah Patricia Watling (1948-01-02)2 January 1948 London, England
Died	21 July 2017(2017-07-21) (aged 69) Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England
Education	Braeside School, Buckhurst Hill
Alma mater	Italia Conti Stage School
Occupation	Actress author
Years active	1958–2016
Known for	Doctor Who Take Me High That'll Be the Day
Spouse(s)	Nicholas Field ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1983)​ Steve Turner ​ (m. 1992)​
Parent(s)	Jack Watling (father)
Relatives	Giles Watling (brother) Dilys Watling (maternal half-sister)

Deborah Patricia Watling (born January 2, 1948 – died July 21, 2017) was an English actress. She was best known for playing Victoria Waterfield, a friend of the Second Doctor, in the famous TV show Doctor Who. She was on the show from 1967 to 1968.

Deborah started acting when she was a child. Her first regular role was in The Invisible Man TV series (1958-1959). She also starred in movies like Take Me High (1973) with Cliff Richard and That'll Be the Day (1973) with David Essex. On TV, she played Julie Robertson in The Newcomers (1969) and Norma Baker in Danger UXB (1979).

Deborah's Early Life

Deborah Watling was born in London, England. Her parents, Jack Watling and Patricia Hicks, were both actors. Her brother, Giles Watling, and her half-sister, Dilys Watling, also became actors.

She grew up in Epping, Essex, before her family moved to a historic house in Loughton, Essex. Deborah went to Braeside School in Buckhurst Hill. For a while, she thought about becoming a dentist! But then she decided to study acting at the Italia Conti Stage School.

Deborah first appeared in a film when she was only three years old. She often played small background roles in her father's movies. Interestingly, at a party, she met a boy named Michael Craze. Years later, she would take over from him as a companion on Doctor Who.

Deborah's Acting Career

Deborah began her career as a child actress. She had a regular role in The Invisible Man TV series in 1958. Later, she got the main role in Alice (1965). This was a play about Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell for the BBC's The Wednesday Play.

She also had a small part in the movie That'll Be the Day (1973). She played Norma Baker in the ITV series Danger UXB (1979). In 1973, she co-starred with singer Cliff Richard in the film Take Me High. Deborah also performed in many plays throughout her career.

Deborah Watling and Frazer Hines at a Doctor Who 50th Anniversary event in 2013

Becoming a Doctor Who Companion

Deborah Watling became famous for playing Victoria Waterfield in Doctor Who. She joined the show from 1967 to 1968. The show's creators first wanted another actress, Pauline Collins, to stay on as a companion. But when Pauline decided not to, Deborah was chosen to play Victoria.

Sadly, many of the Doctor Who episodes from that time were lost by the BBC. This was due to a policy called "wiping," where old tapes were erased to save money. Because of this, only a few of the stories she was in still exist completely. These include The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967) and The Enemy of the World (1967–1968).

Deborah also returned to the Doctor Who world later on. She appeared in Dimensions in Time (1993) and Downtime (1995). She also took part in Doctor Who audio dramas, where actors perform stories using only their voices. In 2013, she was in a special comedy show for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, called The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. She often attended Doctor Who fan events and conventions.

Deborah's Personal Life

In her later years, Deborah Watling lived with her husband in Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex. She was well-known in her village. She often used her acting skills to direct local pantomimes, which are fun, musical plays.

She also wrote a book about her life. It was called Daddy’s Girl and was published in 2010.

Deborah's Death

Deborah Watling passed away on July 21, 2017. She died at a nursing home in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.

Deborah Watling's Film and TV Roles

Movies

Television Shows

Audio Dramas

See also

In Spanish: Deborah Watling para niños