Blake's 7 and Doctor Who actress Jacqueline Pearce dies

From Digital Spy

Blake's 7 star Jacqueline Pearce has died at the age of 74 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Pearce, who was best known for playing Supreme Commander Servalan in BBC science fiction series Blake's 7, died at her home in Lancashire just a few weeks after receiving her diagnosis, The Guardian reports.

The news was confirmed by Pearce's longtime friend John Ainsworth, who remembered the actress as being "outrageous" and "brilliant".

"She was outrageous, she was very honest and very straightforward, which didn't always go down very well, but you knew where you were with her," Ainsworth said.

"She liked a glass of champagne and liked everyone to have a good time with her, and of course she was a brilliant actress and everyone who worked with her remembered her very fondly."

Jacqueline appeared in all four series of Blake's 7 between 1978 and 1981 after her character proved popular enough that her role was expanded from a single episode appearance, and later also starred in an episode of Doctor Who alongside Colin Baker's Doctor.

"Such sad sad news," Colin tweeted about her passing. "Lovely Jacqueline Pearce has left us. Sublime actress and lady. Class. Will be much missed."

Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies also worked with Jacqueline on children's drama Dark Season and he shared a statement following news of her death.

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

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