At the age of 80, Pamela Salem, who gained notoriety for her role in the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again, passed away. She co-starred with Sean Connery in the unofficial 007 film as Miss Moneypenny, the secretary.
Salem costarred with Connery in the crime drama The First Great Train Robbery, which came out in 1978. She also portrayed Professor Rachel Jensen in the 1980s BBC science fiction series Doctor Who. As neither of the two James Bond movies was produced by Eon Productions, the typical producer, Never Say Never Again isn’t regarded as a part of the official franchise.
Warner Bros. produced it and made it possible because, after a protracted legal battle, screenwriter Kevin McClory had held onto the cinematic rights of the novel. Born in India in 1944, Salem began her career at a repertory theater in Chesterfield, York, before moving to London to attend the Central School of Speech & Drama.
Salem went on to feature in science fiction series Blake’s 7, The Tripods, and Into the Labyrinth, as well as the hospital drama ER. She also starred as mafia member Joanne Francis in Eastenders and as fictional UK prime minister Maureen Graty in the US drama series The West Wing.
Salem costarred with Sylvester McCoy, the eighth actor to play the title character in the Doctor Who series, and was a cast member of the radio spin-off series Counter Measures. Salem made a comeback to the radio drama series The Robots, a reworking of the Doctor Who program The Robots of Death, in 2020. In the 1990s, Salem relocated to Los Angeles and later Miami.
Tributes Paid to Pamela Salem
Wednesday marked Salem’s passing, as reported by Big Finish Productions. David Richardson, an audio drama producer for Doctor Who, remarked, “Pamela Salem was delightful, and we all adored her.
“Whenever she had a Big Finish recording scheduled, she would self-fly in from Miami to the recording studio carrying the warmest hugs, smiles, and frequently presents, without a fuss or fanfare.”
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“She was a very gentle person, always interested in everyone from her co-stars to the production team to the guest actors and visitors.” Karen Gledhill, who appeared in Counter-Measures alongside Salem, remarked, “Pamela was the most considerate and benevolent actor with whom I have ever collaborated.
“During my first official television role, Remembrance Of The Daleks, in the 1980s, she mentored me through a delightful yet slightly intimidating experience. We formed a friendship and were always delighted to see one another whenever we crossed paths.
She additionally stated that they “shared a mutual love of dogs – she adored the canine friends that she often rescued and looked after”. “She was so esteemed and beloved; she will be sorely missed,” Gledhill further stated.