Carole Ann Ford Carole Ann Ford ( born 8 June 1940 ) , or Carol Ann Ford as she is sometimes credited , played companion Susan Foreman from " The Pilot Episode " to " The Dalek Invasion of Earth " and again in the anniversary stories " The Five Doctors " and " Dimensions in Time " . She also played Zorelle in the Reeltime Pictures spin - off video " " . She voiced Unit 190 in Gallifrey : " Forever " . Ford has had a long and varied acting career . Her theatrical work includes many comedies , dramas and musicals such as " The Jungle Book " , " Stranger in the House " , " Bakerloo to Paradise " , , " The Rumpus " , " Pride and Prejudice " , " Inadmissable Evidence " , " Enrico " , " Expresso Bongo " , " Sleeping Beauty " , , , " Mother " , " MacBett " , , " Have You Seen Manchester " and . Her films include " Sarah " ( about the life of ) , " Hiding Place " , , " Mix Me a Person " and the part of the blind French girl Bettina in the 1963 science fiction film . She also worked as a glamour model in the late 1950s . In addition to " Doctor Who " , her television appearances include " Suspense " ( in the play ) , , , , , , , and " Dial M for Murder " . According to the documentary " " , it was an appearance on " Z - Cars " that led to Ford being tested for the role of Susan Foreman in " Doctor Who " . According to " The Handbook : The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Production of Doctor Who " , Waris Hussein , director of the first " Doctor Who " episodes , recommended Ford after seeing her image on a studio monitor ; this came after a number of other actresses ( including future companions Jackie Lane and Anneke Wills ) had been passed over for the part . Playing the granddaughter of the Doctor , she was one of the first companion s to appear in the show in 1963 ; although she was twenty - three at the time , Susan was depicted as being fifteen . She left the series in an emotional farewell scene in 1964 at the conclusion of " The Dalek Invasion of Earth " , but briefly returned for the twentieth anniversary special " The Five Doctors " in 1983 and also appeared in the thirtieth anniversary charity special " Dimensions in Time " . She has also appeared on " Juke Box Jury " ( in fact she appeared on the programme only a couple of days after her first wardrobe fitting for " Doctor Who " ) and numerous quiz shows . She has done a multitude of voiceovers , dubbing , post synching and audio tapes . Ford remained close friends with William Hartnell after leaving " Doctor Who , " and was devastated by his death in 1975 . Ford is married with two daughters . She is currently teaching voice , presentation skills and dialogue coaching to politicians , businessmen , after dinner speakers and actors . She has also reprised the role of Susan in two " Doctor Who Unbound " audio plays by Big Finish Productions , " Auld Mortality " and " A Storm of Angels " . She again returned to the role in several other Big Finish dramas , including " An Earthly Child " , " Relative Dimensions " , " Here There Be Monsters " and " Quinnis " . She is older than Peter Davison , Colin Baker , Sylvester McCoy , Paul McGann , Christopher Eccleston and Peter Capaldi , almost twice the age of David Tennant , and more than twice the age of Matt Smith , all of whom play her on - screen grandfather .