Janet Fielding

Fielding was born in Brisbane.{{cite web|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/interview-janet-fielding-tegan-doctor-who|publisher=State Library of Queensland|work=John Oxley Library|title=Interview with Janet Fielding (Tegan from Doctor Who)|date=31 October 2016|access-date=23 October 2022}} After spending some of her childhood schooldays in America, Fielding studied at the University of Queensland, from which she graduated with a degree in English. She planned to become a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and journalism had been a major part of her degree course. Instead, she moved to Britain to become an actress. After arriving in Britain she joined an actors' cooperative.

As 'Janet Clare Fielding' she made her UK TV debut in the Hammer House of Horror episode "Charlie Boy", which aired in October 1980 as it was announced she had been cast as the next Doctor Who companion. She got the Doctor Who companion role after a number of interviews and auditions.

Between 1981 and 1984, Fielding played the part of Tegan Jovanka, a companion of the Fourth Doctor for his four episode story Logopolis only (played by Tom Baker), and later of the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) in 18 of his stories, as well as in the regeneration sequence for his final 19th story. She made a guest appearance on Jim'll Fix It in a Doctor Who-related sketch alongside Colin Baker's Doctor in 1985 (A Fix with Sontarans).{{cite web |url=http://www.drwhoguide.com/fix.htm|work=Doctor Who Reference Guide|title=A Fix with Sontarans|first=Charles|last=Mento|access-date=23 October 2022}} She played Mel during Sylvester McCoy's audition for the part of the Seventh Doctor.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5b1b22Sp7A |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/x5b1b22Sp7A |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Exclusive First Look: Mel Leaving Scene - Doctor Who: Dragonfire - BBC |publisher=YouTube |date=2008-07-04 |access-date=2014-03-04}}{{cbignore}} In 1982 she had a small role as the waitress Tracy in the ITV sitcom Shelley. In 1984 she had a role in two ITV series, Minder and the children's drama Murphy's Mob. This was followed in 1985 with a part in another ITV series called Hold the Back Page.

In 1991, Fielding gave up acting to take up an administrative position with Women in Film and Television UK. While she maintained the administrative position for only three and a half years, she continued with the group afterwards, managing the Skillset study on successful women in television in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.skillset.org/uploads/pdf/asset_14196.pdf?1|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100115112108/http://www.skillset.org/uploads/pdf/asset_14196.pdf?1|archive-date=15 January 2010|website=skillset.org|title=Why Her? Factors that Have Influenced the Careers of Successful Women in Television|first=Amanda|last=Simpson|access-date=27 November 2011}} During that time, Fielding worked as a theatrical agent, at one point representing Paul McGann when he took the role of the Eighth Doctor.

She returned to acting and the role of Tegan for Big Finish Productions audio plays including The Gathering (2006),{{cite web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-gathering-253|work=Big Finish Productions|title=087. Doctor Who: The Gathering|access-date=23 October 2022}} Cobwebs and The Cradle of the Snake (2010){{cite web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/doctor-who-the-cradle-of-the-snake-304|work=Big Finish Productions|title=138. Doctor Who: The Cradle of the Snake|access-date=23 October 2022}} alongside Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. She had been initially reluctant to reprise her role for Big Finish; at Doctor Who conventions she has stated this reluctance was due primarily to her work as a theatrical agent, as she perceived a potential conflict of interest in working as an actor while representing actors. She has confirmed that she will continue to appear as Tegan in future audio stories. Fielding has also provided audio commentaries for several DVD releases of Tegan's Doctor Who stories{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/05/04/43792.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104072857/https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2007/05/04/43792.shtml|archive-date=4 November 2010|work=BBC|title=DVD update {{!}} Revised schedule, plus Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity|date=4 May 2007}} and appeared in DVD extras for Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks, stories in which she did not appear, where she provided critiques on the portrayal of female characters in the serials.

Fielding has worked as the head of finance for a charity. She is Project Co-ordinator for Project MotorHouse, a charity based in Ramsgate, UK, which aims to modernise the old motor museum into a multi-use venue featuring offices, bars, a restaurant, a café and cinemas, where local youths will have a chance to learn from successful businesses.{{cite web|url=http://www.ramsgatetown.org/our-community/interviews/janetfielding.aspx|work=Ramsgate Town Council|title=Janet Fielding - Project Motorhouse|date=27 August 2015|access-date=23 October 2022}}

In August 2013, Fielding contributed to the one-off special show Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor in an interview segment with other companions and Doctors, and she appeared in the 50th-anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba3c7e9de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017230113/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba3c7e9de|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 October 2016|work=BFI|title=Janet Fielding {{!}} Filmography|access-date=23 October 2022}}

Fielding reprised the role of Tegan in the October 2022 Doctor Who BBC centenary special "The Power of the Doctor", alongside Sophie Aldred as Ace and in the episode she reunites with Peter Davison as Fifth Doctor.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61111999|work=BBC News|title=Doctor Who: Former companions to join Jodie Whittaker's farewell|first=Lizo|last=Mzimba|author-link=Lizo Mzimba|date=17 April 2022|access-date=23 October 2022}}

In a 2023 interview,{{Cite web |last=Crisp |first=Oscar |date=Apr 13, 2023 |title=Doctor Who: Janet Fielding INTERVIEW 2023 (Tegan Jovanka) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHZQuQ1c-Ds&ab_channel=CrispyPro |website=YouTube}} Fielding reflected on her role as the first Australian companion in Doctor Who, stating, "I was not only the first Australian companion, but I was the first companion who wasn't a Brit." She also discussed her return in The Power of the Doctor, noting that it had been over 30 years since she had last acted on camera, and described the experience as both exciting and daunting. Speaking about the impact of the series, she remarked, "I got to learn 10 years later what a privilege it was to be a treasured part of so many childhoods and adolescents… and how lucky you were that that was part of your life."

She reprised the role in the series Tales of the TARDIS.{{cite web|title=Doctor Who: Welcome to The Whoniverse where every Doctor, every companion and hundreds of terrifying monsters live |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2023/doctor-who-the-whoniverse-tales-of-the-tardis|website=BBC Media Centre|publisher=BBC|date=30 October 2023}}

In 1982 Fielding married Daily Mirror foreign editor Nicholas Davies. They divorced in 1991.{{cite book|title=The assassination of Robert Maxwell: Israel's superspy|first1=Gordon|last1=Thomas|first2=Martin|last2=Dillon|publisher=Robson Books|location=London|date=28 May 2003|isbn=1-86105-642-7|pages=127–129}} In September 2012, Fielding revealed she was being treated for cancer.{{cite web|url=https://www.doctorwhonews.net/2012/09/janet-fielding-battles-cancer.html|website=doctorwhonews.net|title=Janet Fielding Battles Cancer|first=John|last=Bowman|date=19 September 2012|access-date=23 October 2022}}

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://janetfielding.com/ Official website]
• {{IMDb name|id=0276148|name = Janet Fielding}}
• [http://thegallifreychronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/where-are-they-now-no5-janet-fielding.html Where Are They Now? - No.5 Janet Fielding]
• [http://www.projectmotorhouse.org.uk/ Official site for Project MotorHouse]

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Category:1953 births

Category:Australian television actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Actresses from Brisbane

Category:20th-century Australian actresses

Category:21st-century Australian actresses

Category:University of Queensland alumni

Category:Australian expatriate actresses in the United Kingdom