“Doctor Who” Star Dead at 89

(UnitedVoice.com) – Sylvia Syms, 89, was one of the most prolific British actresses. She began acting in the 1950s and starred in nearly 50 films and three dozen television shows in the United Kingdom. Sadly, she has now passed away.

On January 27, Syms passed away at Denville Hall in London. The late actress was born in 1934 and began her acting career in 1953. Throughout her 60-year career, she starred in various roles, playing the Queen Mother, former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mrs. Pritchard on “Doctor Who,” and dozens of others.

One of Syms’ most famous roles was in the 1958 film “Ice Cold in Alex,” in which she played a World War II nurse.

The beautiful Sylvia Syms has passed away.
She played some brilliant characters in some amazing movies, but I think my favourite is Ice Cold in Alex (1958). Here she is talking about the film and the time she got into trouble with the censors.
Raise a glass to her tonight. pic.twitter.com/TgWks8BoUE

— The Sting (@TSting18) January 27, 2023

In 2006, Syms starred alongside Helen Mirren in the Academy Award-winning movie “The Queen.” She played Queen Elizabeth’s mother in the film that depicted the events following Princess Diana’s death. A year after the movie hit theaters, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Syms the honor of officer of the Order of the British Empire at a Buckingham Palace ceremony.

Two days after news broke about Syms’ death, a beloved star in the United States passed away as well. Annie Wersching, 45, died on January 29 from cancer. The death shocked Hollywood, as the actress never revealed she was ill even though she was diagnosed in 2020.

After she was diagnosed, Wersching, who was known for her roles in “24” and “The Vampire Diaries,” continued to work. She starred in “The Rookie,” playing the role of a serial killer. She also played the Borg queen in “Star Trek: Picard.”

Wersching’s husband, Stephen Full, issued a statement about his wife’s death to CNN. He said, “There is a cavernous hole in the soul” of his family in the wake of her passing. However, he said Wersching left them “the tools to fill it.” Full said that she often “found wonder in the simplest moment,” and his family will continue to find adventure wherever they go.

Syms is survived by her son Ben Edney and daughter Beatie Edney. Wersching is survived by her three young children and husband.