Julia Sawalha

**Julia Sawalha** (born 9 September 1968) appeared as Raine Cunningham from 1990 to 1992. She also auditioned for the role of Ace. (DWM 560)

## Biography

### Prior to *Doctor Who*

Sawalha was born in Wandsworth, London, and is the daughter of Roberta Lane and actor Nadim Sawalha. Her father was born in Madaba, Jordan. She was named after her paternal grandmother, a businesswoman who had received an award from Queen Noor for enterprise. She is of Jordanian, English, and French Huguenot ancestry.

Sawalha was educated at the Theatre Arts School, a fee-paying independent school which is part of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, based at the time in Clapham in south London, which she left at the age of fifteen.

Sawalha made her debut in the 1982 BBC miniseries *Fame Is the Spur*, and in 1988 played a small role in *Inspector Morse* on the episode "Last Seen Wearing". She first gained attention for her starring role in the Bafta award-winning ITV teenage comedy-drama *Press Gang*, which ran from 1989 to 1993.

### *Doctor Who*

Sawalha first appeared on *Doctor Who* in 1990, beginning with the episode *Crime of the Century*. She outlasted Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor, becoming the first companion to Richard Griffiths' Eighth Doctor. Her character, Raine Cunningham, met a fair amount of acclaim, as she continued a new trope of independent female companions, compared to the more cowardly and effeminate companions seen throughout much of the 60s, 70s and mid-80s era of the show. Her character was killed off in the Season 29 episode *The Green Knight*. She has the distinction of being the only major companion in the main series of *Doctor Who* to have never made an appearance on BBC One, as all the stories featuring Raine were broadcast during *Doctor Who*'s time on BBC Two.

### Post-*Doctor Who* career

In 1992 she appeared in episode "Parade" (S2 E4) of *Bottom* as Veronica Head, a beautiful young barmaid at the Lamb and Flag, whom Richie tries to woo by boasting of his false adventures in the Falklands.

From 1991 to 1994, she starred in the ITV family comedy *Second Thoughts* and continued with her character, Hannah (Lynda Bellingham's daughter), in the British Comedy Award-winning *Faith in the Future* (1995–98). In 1994, she played Mercy (Merry) Pecksniff in the BBC production of *Martin Chuzzlewit*.

From 1992 to 2012, Sawalha played strait-laced daughter Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon in the BBC sitcom *Absolutely Fabulous* alongside Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.

She appeared in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's *Pride and Prejudice* as Lydia Bennet, with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.

She voiced Ginger in DreamWorks/Aardman Animations' *Chicken Run* (2000). She also played "Dawn the Wise Man" in *The Flint Street Nativity* on Christmas Eve.

In 2000, she appeared as Janet, the Australian barmaid ("Built for bar work; it's instinct... instinct!!") in the first series of the British sitcom *Time Gentlemen Please*. She also played the much put-upon PA to "Zak" in Argos TV adverts during 2002–2004, along with Richard E. Grant.

She joined actor Ioan Gruffudd in the TV adaptations of C. S. Forester's *Horatio Hornblower* novels, as the captain's wife Maria. The following year, she became Alan Davies's co-star in *Jonathan Creek* after Caroline Quentin left, appearing in a Christmas Special ("Satan's Chimney"). She returned for a series between 2003 and 2004.

In 2006, she participated in the third series of the genealogy documentary series *Who Do You Think You Are?* tracing her family's roots, which are Jordanian Bedouin on her father's side, and French Huguenot on her mother's. She also appeared in the pilot of BBC 1's *A Taste of my Life* presented by Nigel Slater.

After a two-year break, she was back on screen in May 2007, competing in the BBC dog training celebrity reality show *The Underdog Show.*She then returned to acting in two successive BBC costume dramas: as Jessie Brown in 2007 series *Cranford*, followed by *Lark Rise to Candleford* from 2008 through 2011.

She provided the voice acting for Sister Hannah (a.k.a. "Hammer"), a main character in the 2008 Xbox 360 video game *Fable II*.

In Autumn 2014, Julia played the part of Jan Ward in BBC One's thriller miniseries *Remember Me*, featuring Michael Palin.

On 9 May 2015 she read the account of a member of the Women's Land Army at *VE Day 70: A Party to Remember* in Horse Guards Parade, London, which was broadcast live on BBC1.

In 2016, she appeared in an episode of *Midsomer Murders* and reprised her role as Saffron "Saffy" Monsoon in *Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie*.

In July 2020, she made a statement revealing Aardman Animations intended to recast her character in the upcoming sequel to *Chicken Run*, stating that she is now considered to sound too old, and commented "I have officially been plucked, stuffed & roasted". The decision was met with widespread criticism with some finding the decision ageist. She even released video clips online of her voicing the character again to prove her voice still sounded the same.

## Credits

### *Doctor Who*

* *Crime of the Century*
* *Night Thoughts*
* *Alixion*
* *Avatar*
* *Hostage*
* *The Herald*
* *Lungbarrow*
* *A School for Glory*
* *The Green Knight*