Jacqueline Pearce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacqueline Pearce
Jacqueline Pearce at the Blake's 7 Series 2 DVD launch, 2005
Born	(1943-12-20)20 December 1943 Byfleet, Surrey, England
Died	3 September 2018(2018-09-03) (aged 74) Lancashire, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Lee Strasberg Actors Studio
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964–2018
Spouse(s)	Drewe Henley ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1967)​

Jacqueline Pearce (born 20 December 1943 – died 3 September 2018) was a talented British actress. She was famous for playing the main villain, Servalan, in the science fiction TV show Blake's 7 (1978–1981).

Jacqueline also studied acting at top schools like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She appeared in early horror films such as The Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile. Later, she acted alongside Jerry Lewis in the movie Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River. She also had many roles in TV shows, plays, and audio dramas, including Doctor Who.

During her life, Jacqueline sometimes struggled with clinical depression. She wrote about this in her book, From Byfleet to the Bush (2012). She spent five years helping monkeys at the Vervet Monkey Foundation in South Africa. She returned to the UK in 2015.

Early Life and Acting Start

Jacqueline Pearce was born in Byfleet, Surrey, England, on 20 December 1943. She spent her childhood living with her father and a foster family. Her mother left when Jacqueline was very young.

She went to the Marist Convent School for Girls. A teacher there encouraged her to follow her dream of acting. After school, Jacqueline got into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). This is a famous acting school in London.

A Career on Screen and Stage

After finishing RADA in 1963, Jacqueline Pearce started her acting career. Her first TV role was in a show called A Question of Happiness. She played a waitress in an episode with other young actors like Ian McShane and John Hurt.

In the same year, she had a small part in the film Genghis Khan. She also appeared in TV shows like Danger Man. In 1965, she got leading roles in two Hammer horror films: The Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile. These movies were filmed back-to-back and released in 1966.

Playing the Villain: Servalan

Jacqueline Pearce is most famous for her role as Servalan in the British science fiction TV series Blake's 7. Servalan was the main villain in the show, which ran from 1978 to 1981.

Her character was only meant to be in one episode at first. But Jacqueline was so popular that Servalan became a regular character for all four seasons. Servalan started as the "Supreme Commander" and later became "President." She was a powerful and memorable villain.

Jacqueline wanted her character to wear feminine clothes instead of a military uniform. She felt Servalan was a "damaged and driven" woman. The role was very important to her, but she later said it took years to "recover from Servalan" because she took on some of the character's strong personality.

Many people loved her as Servalan. Reviewers called her "one of telly's finest baddies." Historian Dominic Sandbrook said Servalan was "immensely glamorous and thoroughly evil." She was a character that many young people remembered.

Other Notable Roles

Jacqueline also appeared in other films, including the Carry On movie Don't Lose Your Head (1966). She acted with Jerry Lewis in Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968).

She was also in children's TV shows like Dark Season (with Kate Winslet) and Moondial. Fans of Doctor Who might remember her as Chessene, a bloodthirsty alien, in the 1985 story The Two Doctors. She later returned to Doctor Who audio dramas as Cardinal Ollistra.

Jacqueline made guest appearances in many other popular TV series. These included The Avengers, Public Eye, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

On stage, she performed in plays like Tom Stoppard's Night and Day. She also acted in Otherwise Engaged, which was directed by the famous Harold Pinter.

Personal Life and Later Years

Jacqueline Pearce openly shared that she struggled with clinical depression at different times in her life. She wrote about her experiences in her memoir, From Byfleet to the Bush.

She found great joy and a new purpose by volunteering at the Vervet Monkey Foundation in South Africa. She originally planned a short visit but ended up staying for five years. She felt a strong connection with the monkeys there.

Jacqueline was married twice, and both marriages ended in divorce. She returned to the UK in 2015. In August 2018, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She passed away on 3 September 2018, at her home in Lancashire.

Filmography

Television Roles

Film Roles

Theatre Roles