Sammie Winmill (born Janice Winmill, 28 November 1948) is a British actress who had a number of roles in the 1970s, and is best known for portraying Carol in the

Sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

series ''

The Tomorrow People ''The Tomorrow People'' is a British children's science fiction television series created by Roger Price. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV Network, the series first ran from 30 April 1973 to 19 February 1979. The theme music was c ...

''.

Career

Her first noted appearance was alongside

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as '' Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', and ''Open All Hours''. ...

in the comedy ''

Futtock's End ''Futtocks End'' is a British comedy film released in 1970, directed by Bob Kellett and written by Ronnie Barker. Almost entirely without dialogue, the film includes a musical score, sound effects and incoherent mutterings. The story revolves a ...

'' in 1970. Following small roles with

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

in the films of ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...

'' and ''

Up the Chastity Belt ''Up the Chastity Belt'' (also released as ''Naughty Knights'' in the United States) is a 1971 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd. It was a spin-off from the TV series '' Up Pompeii!'' Plot Eleanor of Aquit ...

'' (1971) she secured a regular part in the sitcom ''

Doctor in Charge ''Doctor in Charge'' is a British television comedy series based on a set of books by Richard Gordon about the misadventures of a group of doctors. The series follows directly from its predecessor '' Doctor at Large''. It was produced by London ...

'' in 1972 playing Nurse Sandra Crumpton. This role ran for six episodes of the first series. Soon after she appeared as Gretel in the 1972 film ''

The Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to ...

'' starring

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

. In 1973 she was offered the role of Carol in a new children's science-fiction series, ''

''. Winmill played the role throughout the thirteen episodes of the first series but declined to continue in the part, despite being offered a three-year contract. This was mainly due to her fear of being typecast and wanting to do more stage work, although the actress now believes that she quit the role too early. Winmill went on to do much theatre work over the next few years before landing another regular television role in ''

The Duchess of Duke Street ''The Duchess of Duke Street'' is a BBC television drama series set in London between the late 1800s and 1925. It was created by John Hawkesworth, previously the producer of the ITV period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. It starred Gemma Jo ...

'' in 1976. She played the part of Ethel for eleven episodes until 1977. She also appeared in an episode of ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'', but by the early 1980s she had decided to retire from the industry. Over the next few years, Winmill became involved in other activities such as folk singing (she also plays guitar) and joined the Template Foundation, due to her interest in the psychic mind. She also organises drama and dance workshops specifically for women with an emphasis on spiritual well-being. In the late 1990s she made a return to acting, appearing in a one-woman show which she wrote herself and starred in a number of science-fiction audio drama CDs.

References

External links

*
Photo gallery of Sammie Winmill at The Tomorrow People fansite
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winmill, Sammie 1948 births English television actresses Living people People from Bognor Regis