Jacqueline Pearce, star of British sci-fi Blake’s 7 and Doctor Who, has died

It’s been recently announced that Jacqueline Pearce, veteran sci-fi actress most famous for her role of Servalan in Blakes 7, has died, aged 74.

For many fans of late Seventies and early Eighties science-fiction, this is sure to be devastating news. Jacqueline Pearce appeared in many TV series and films over the years. But it was her role as the villain Servalan in Blake’s 7 that people have and always will remember her most from.

Blake’s 7 was a very popular British sci-fi series. The story of a band of criminals forming together to become resistance fighters, the series was in many ways ahead of its time. Maybe not in terms of its look (especially due to a typically low budget from the BBC). But from its ideas, with even the premise baring more in common with Firefly than with Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, at least at the time it was made.

However, every great story needed a great villain, and Blake’s 7 got that with Servalan. Not at first – her initial appearance was only meant to be a supporting role for that specific episode.

But because of Pearce’s performance, the character quickly became very popular. In fact, Servalan essentially became the main antagonist across the whole of Blake’s 7.

Servalan was an intelligent and complex character, one with a lot of class (and a lot of memorable costumes, too). Pearce’s performance was consistently strong when playing the role, and even decades later, fans of that era still have fond memories of her and her character.

Pearce had a major recurring role as Ollistra in The War Doctor and The Eighth Doctor: The Time War audios.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Jacqueline Pearce and Doctor Who

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In the TV series, Pearce only appeared in one Doctor Who story, in 1985’s The Two Doctors as Chessene. Her performance was as strong as ever, although Chessene as a character wasn’t quite as memorable as Servalan was.

But if there’s one other role that was as good as Servalan, it was Ollistra. Introduced in The War Doctor audios from Big Finish, Ollistra essentially represented the very worst of Time Lord society. She wasn’t afraid of making sacrifices (so long as they weren’t her own); she was utterly ruthless, and best of all, had an absolutely fierce wit. She took no prisoners when it came to her snarky comments.

Once again, this was another excellent fit for Pearce, and quite possibly her best role since Servalan. While Ollistra wasn’t “evil”, she did represent the side of the Doctor’s people that the Doctor loathed. Specifically, the arrogance and superiority.

Naturally, there was a great deal of conflict between the two. Also naturally, she was popular enough to appear often in Doctor Who audios. After her first appearance in Only the Monstrous, she then went on to appear in not just the rest of The War Doctor series, but also in The Eighth Doctor: The Time War and other various audios.

Jacqueline Pearce had a knack for portraying really horrible people. It’s perhaps unsurprising that, like many of the very best villainous actors, she was far more loved in real life. Russell T Davies describes her as such.

"It was a joy, working with Jacqueline on the first drama I ever wrote, Dark Season. She was glorious, vivid, passionate, filthy and the most wonderful company. And underneath the style and the laughter, a truly fine actor."

Jacqueline Pearce died of lung cancer on September 3rd 2018, aged 74. Needless to say, she will be missed by many.