"I lose things all the time. I once left my mother's ashes at a bus stop."
"The little kiddies really got me. Older men found it quite pleasant to look at me. The mothers and girls didn’t feel threatened and loved Jo’s trendy clothes and rings."
On playing Jo Grant in Doctor Who
Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946 in Guildford, England) is an English actress best known for her part as the companion Jo Grant in Doctor Who. She also plays Time Lady Iris Wildthyme in Big Finish Doctor Who — and yes, the two characters have teamed up.
She's officially an Australian citizen, although she lives in London.
Tropes related to her career include:
- Blind Without 'Em: Jo was famous for holding hands with the Doctor whenever they were running away from a bad guy. This was because Katy Manning is incredibly short-sighted and at the time couldn't tolerate contact lenses - on her first location shoot she allegedly ran at full speed into a tree.
- Dawson Casting: Katy Manning was in her mid-20s when she was cast as 18-year-old Jo, fresh off of taking (but not passing) her A Levels.
- You Look Familiar: Katy Manning also plays transtemporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme, who has her own spinoff in the Doctor Who Expanded Universe. (Though technically they don't actually sound all that similar, with Manning voicing Iris in a husky, "centuries of gin and fags, chook!" voice.)
