Jacqueline Hill
Grace Jacqueline Hill (17 December 1929 – 18 February 1993) was a British actress known for her role as Barbara Wright in the BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who. She played the role for nearly two years. Hill returned to Doctor Who in 1980 for an appearance in the serial Meglos, as the Tigellan priestess Lexa.
Also recorded as Grace Jacqueline Hill
Jacqueline Hill

Public domain
- Name
- Jacqueline Hill
- Birth Name
- Grace Jacqueline Hill
- Born
- 17 December 1929
- Birthplace
- Birmingham, England
- Died
- 18 February 1993
- Place of death
- London, England
- Education
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Grace Jacqueline Hill (17 December 1929 – 18 February 1993) was a British actress known for her role as Barbara Wright in the BBC science-fiction television series Doctor Who. She played the role for nearly two years. Hill returned to Doctor Who in 1980 for an appearance in the serial Meglos, as the Tigellan priestess Lexa.
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Note VALÉORINE
Jacqueline Hill (1929–1993) was a British actor, actress and film actor, among other activities. Born in Birmingham, the actor died in London. Jacqueline Hill studied at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 30 September 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jacqueline Hill • Birth Name — Grace Jacqueline Hill • Born — 17 December 1929 • Birthplace — Birmingham, England • Died — 18 February 1993 • Place of death — London, England • Education — Royal Academy of Dramatic Art • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1953–66; 1978–86 • Television — Doctor Who (1963–65; 1980) • Children — 2
Biography
Biography
Hill was orphaned as a toddler and brought up by her grandparents. She was taken out of school at the age of 14 to enable her younger brother to continue. She then worked at Cadbury's, which had an amateur dramatics society. She was encouraged to apply for, and was awarded, a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and entered RADA at the age of 19. Hill graduated in 1951. Hill made her stage debut in London's West End in The Shrike. In 1958 she married the director Alvin Rakoff, having the previous year appeared in his BBC adaptation of Rod Serling's American TV play Requiem For A Heavyweight. This production featured former bit-part actor Sean Connery; Hill had recommended that Rakoff cast him, because she believed Connery would be popular with female viewers. She was offered the part of Barbara Wright in Doctor Who, following discussions with producer Verity Lambert about the role. She had first met Lambert when they worked at ABC Weekend TV. Hill preferred the historical Doctor Who stories; her favourite serials were The Aztecs and The Crusade. Shortly after leaving the series in 1965 she gave up acting in order to raise a family, resuming her career in 1978. Her later TV credits included Tales of the Unexpected and the 1978 BBC Television Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliet (as Lady Capulet), which was directed by her husband. In October 1980, she returned to Doctor Who in a guest role, portraying Priestess Lexa, leader of the religiously fanatical Deons, in the story Meglos. By this time the Doctor was played by Tom Baker.
Death
Death
Jacqueline Hill died of breast cancer in 1993, aged 63.
Portrayals
Portrayals
In 2013, as part of the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebrations, the BBC produced a docu-drama relating the story of the creation and early days of the series, titled An Adventure in Space and Time. Hill appeared as a character in the drama, portrayed by actress Jemma Powell.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Episode(s) — Role — Network — Archive status • 1953 — The Rose and the Ring — Mini-series — Fairy Blackstick — BBC Television Service — Missing • 1954 — The Vise — Series 1, Episode 5: Death Pays No Dividends — Barmaid (uncredited) — ABC — Exists • 1955 — BBC Sunday-Night Theatre — Series 6, Episode 23: The Legend of Pepito — Jeannie — BBC Television Service — Missing • Three Empty Rooms — TV Movie — Louise Shoemaker — BBC Television Service — Missing • 1956 — BBC Sunday-Night Theatre — Series 7, Episode 16: The Seat of the Scornful — Cynthia Lee — BBC Television Service — Missing • ITV Television Playhouse — Series 1, Episode 44: Martine — Jeanne — ITV (Rediffusion) — Missing • 1957 — BBC Sunday-Night Theatre — Series 8, Episode 13: Requiem for a Heavyweight — Grace Carney — BBC Television Service — Audio recording survives • Joyous Errand — All 6 episodes — Trooper — BBC Television Service — Missing • 1958 — Armchair Theatre — Series 2, Episode 18: Man in the Corner — Florence Miller — ITV (ABC) — Missing • ITV Television Playhouse — Series 3, Episode 39: Poet's Corner — Unknown — ITV (Rediffusion) — Missing • ITV Play of the Week — Series 3, Episode 48: The Curious Savage — Miss Willie — ITV — Missing • 1959 — BBC Sunday-Night Theatre — Series 10, Episode 47: The Velvet Alley — Pat Pandish — BBC Television Service — Missing • The Flying Doctor — Episode 24: Brainstorm — Ellen Ferguson — ITV — Exists • 1960 — Saturday Playhouse — Episode 51: The Man Who Came to Dinner — Maggie Cutler — BBC Television Service — Missing • BBC Sunday-Night Play — Episode 5: The Chopping Block — Jane — BBC Television — Exists • 1961 — The Watching Cat — TV Movie — Catherine Ellis — BBC Television — Missing • Drama '61 — Series 1, Episode 4: The Executioners — Mrs. Lander — ITV (ATV) — Missing • The Men from Room 13 — Series 2, Episodes 11-13: The Men Who Made Trouble Pts. 1-3 — Miss Angel — BBC Television — Missing • 1962 — The Six Proud Walkers — Six episodes — Sally Walker — BBC Television — Missing • No Hiding Place — Series 4, Episode 11: The Bank Job — Sonya Gardener — ITV (Rediffusion) — Partial • Out of This World — Episode 6: Medicine Show — Lil Harmon — ITV (ABC) — Missing • Maigret — Series 3, Episode 12: The Trap — Mme. Helen Moncin — BBC Television — Exists • 1963 — ITV Play of the Week — Series 9, Episode 7: The Fixers — Helen Harrison — ITV — Exists • Doctor Who — Series 1, 40 episodes — Barbara Wright — BBC Television — Partial (9 episodes missing) • 1964 — BBC One • Series 2, 34 episodes — Partial (2 episodes missing) • 1965 • 1966 — No Hiding Place — Series 9, Episode 4: You Never Can Tell Till You Try — Sarah Peterson — ITV (Rediffusion) — Missing • 1978 — Crown Court — Series 7, Episodes 71-72: A Man With Everything Pts. 2 & 3 — Margaret Eden — ITV (Granada) — All programmes exist from this point. • BBC Television Shakespeare — Series 1, Episode 1: Romeo & Juliet — Lady Capulet — BBC Two • 1980 — Doctor Who — Series 18: Meglos (4 episodes) — Lexa — BBC One • 1982 — Angels — Series 8, Episode 27 — Mrs. Muirhead — BBC One • 1983 — Tales of the Unexpected — Series 6, Episode 10: The Luncheon — Melanie Litmayer — ITV (Anglia) • 1984 — Series 7, Episode 12: Accidental Death — Mrs. Milvain • 1986 — ScreenPlay — Series 1, Episode 1: All Together Now — Jenny — BBC Two • Paradise Postponed — 5 episodes — Mrs. Mallard-Greene — ITV (Thames)
Identity
Identity
Jacqueline Hill is recorded as actress.

"Jackie weighs in for tonight's big date." Published in Daily Herald on Thursday 15 October 1953 (p. 4).

Jacqueline Hill, published in Evening Standard on Monday 22 June 1953 (p. 11).
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1993
Jacqueline Hill died at London.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Birmingham.
Birth place
London.
Death place
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1953 — The Blue Parrot — Maureen Maguire • 1964 — The Comedy Man — Sandy Lavery
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Obituary, cuttingsarchive.org; accessed 21 February 2016.
- 2.Explore.bfi.org.uk. Jacqueline Hill profile.
- 3.Telegraph. Doctor Who - the top ten female assistants. 27 May 2011.
- 4.Philip Bates. Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews | All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum. Kasterborous.com. 25 November 2013.
- 5.Doctorwho.tv. Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) - Quotes & Bio.
- 6.BBC. Doctor Who - Classic Series - Companions - Barbara Wright.
- 7.Radiotimes.com. David Bradley as William Hartnell, the first Doctor, Claudia Grant as Carole Ann Ford playing Susan, Jamie Glover as William Russell playing Ian Chesterton and Jemma Powell as Jacqueline Hill playing Barbara Wright in An Adventure in Space and Time. 21 November 2013.
- 8.Jacqueline Hill obituary (The Times) - the Doctor Who Cuttings Archive.
- 9.Bremner, Louise. A Future in Five Minutes: A Biography of Jacqueline Hill. Fantom Publishing. 26-28. 2020. 978-1-78196-341-8.
- 10.Jacqueline Hill — RADA.
- 11.Lloyd, Spencer. Requiem for Two Heavyweights. RodSerling.com.
- 12.Drwhointerviews.wordpress.com. Jacqueline Hill | Doctor Who Interview Archive. 25 September 2009.
- 13.BBC. Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - Meglos.
- 14.Foster, Chuck. An Adventure in Space and Time: Jemma Powell to play Jacqueline Hill. Doctor Who News. 8 February 2013.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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