Sophie Aldred (born 20 August 1962[1]) portrayed Ace in the original television series from Dragonfire to Survival, and reprised the role for Dimensions in Time and audio stories produced by Big Finish. Aldred also had a part in the 1998 Doctor Who spin-off Mindgame, and played Alice, a close analogue of the TV Ace, in BBV Productions' The Time Travellers audios.
She was born in Greenwich, London and raised in Blackheath. She shares her birthday with her co-star, Sylvester McCoy, who is 19 years her senior, and Anthony Ainley.
Biography[]
Sophie attended Blackheath High School and studied drama at the University of Manchester before embarking on a career in children's theatre. In 1987, while she was working back chorus on Fiddler on the Roof, she was cast as Ace. The Doctor found Ace serving milkshakes on Iceworld in the story Dragonfire, at the end of which she joined the Doctor on his travels. Several stories (Ghost Light, The Curse of Fenric, and Survival) explored her character to an extent that previous companion characters had not seen.
Sophie Aldred in 2008.
Before and since Doctor Who, Aldred has had a varied and busy television career, particularly in children's programming, where she has presented educational programmes such as Corners, Melvin and Maureen's Music-a-grams and the long-running BBC series Words and Pictures. She has performed on radio and in the theatre. She has also reprised her role as Ace in the charity special Dimensions in Time and continues to perform the role in Doctor Who audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions.
She co-wrote the hardback reference book, Ace! The Inside Story of the End of an Era with Mike Tucker, published by Virgin Publishing in 1996. (ISBN 1-85227-574-X). She also edited a special issue of Doctor Who Magazine (Issue 255).
Sophie Aldred and Karen Gillan meet. (VOR 17)
While recording Short Trips - Volume I, Sophie Aldred met Karen Gillan, who was recording audio for an online interactive game. Sophie introducted herself to Karen as "one of the old girls", saying she played Ace. Karen then gasped, and asked Sophie to take a picture with her. Sophie asked Karen to sign her T-shirt, and joked she would never be able to wash it again. (VOR 17)
Beginning in 2012, Aldred provided the lead voice-over role in the animated series Tree Fu Tom; her co-star for the first series was David Tennant.
Sophie Aldred married Vince Henderson on 12 July 1997. They have two sons, Adam and William Henderson.
In 2013, Sophie and her co-star Sylvester McCoy partnered up for the Doctor Who edition of the game show Pointless Celebrities. She also contributed to the charity reference book Behind the Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Doctor Who and was interviewed for Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It.
Acting Credits[]
As Ace
Television[]
Doctor Who[]
- Dragonfire
- Remembrance of the Daleks
- The Happiness Patrol
- Silver Nemesis
- The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
- Battlefield
- Ghost Light
- The Curse of Fenric
- Survival
- The Power of the Doctor
Mini-episodes[]
Webcasts[]
Doctor Who[]
Tales of the TARDIS[]
The Collection Blu-Ray Trailers[]
Audio[]
Doctor Who Main Range[]
- The Fearmonger
- The Genocide Machine
- The Shadow of the Scourge
- Dust Breeding
- Colditz
- The Rapture
- The Dark Flame
- The Harvest
- Dreamtime
- LIVE 34
- Night Thoughts
- The Settling
- No Man's Land
- Nocturne
- The Dark Husband
- Forty-Five
- The Magic Mousetrap
- Enemy of the Daleks
- The Angel of Scutari
- Project: Destiny
- A Death in the Family
- Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge
- Protect and Survive
- Black and White
- Gods and Monsters
- 1963: The Assassination Games
- Afterlife
- Revenge of the Swarm
- Mask of Tragedy
- Signs and Wonders
- You Are the Doctor and Other Stories
- A Life of Crime
- Fiesta of the Damned
- Shadow Planet / World Apart
- The High Price of Parking
- The Blood Furnace
- The Silurian Candidate
- Red Planets
- The Dispossessed
- The Quantum Possibility Engine
- Muse of Fire
- An Alien Werewolf in London
- Dark Universe
- The Flying Dutchman / Displaced
- The Grey Man of the Mountain
Special Releases[]
The Lost Stories[]
The Seventh Doctor Adventures[]
Novel Adaptations[]
Tenth Doctor Classic Companions[]
The Companion Chronicles[]
Destiny of the Doctor[]
Short Trips[]
- Police and Shreeves
- Critical Mass
- The Riparian Ripper
- The Shadow Trader
- Dark Convoy
- Washington Burns
- Doctors and Dragons
- Dead Woman Walking
- Inside Story
Bernice Summerfield[]
- Random Ghosts
- The Lights of Skaro
- The Pyramid of Sutekh
- The Vault of Osiris
- The Eye of Horus
- The Tears of Isis
The Death and Life of River Song[]
Gallifrey[]
Gallifrey: Time War[]
The Eighth of March[]
UNIT[]
Class: The Audio Adventures[]
Torchwood[]
- The Red List
- Death in Venice
- Sabotage
- Reflect
Other Roles
Television[]
Other[]
Direct-to-DVD[]
- The Zero Imperative - P.R.O.
- Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans - Mari
- Mindgame - "Human"
- Mindgame Trilogy - "Human"
- White Witch of Devil's End (grateful thanks)
- Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor - Mistress Na
Audio[]
Doctor Who Main Range[]
The Seventh Doctor Adventures[]
Bernice Summerfield[]
Iris Wildthyme[]
Vienna[]
- Impossibly Galmorous - Kensington Fox
AUK Studios[]
- Children of the Circus - Captain Gren / AJ
The Time Travellers[]
- Republica - "Ace"
- Island of Lost Souls - "Ace"
- Prosperity Island - "Ace"
- The Left Hand of Darkness - "Ace"
- The Other Side - "Ace"
- Guest for the Night - "Ace"
- Ghosts - Alice
- Only Human - Alice
- Blood Sports - Alice
Audiobook Readings[]
Target Novelisations[]
BBC Past Doctor Novels[]
BBC New Series Adventures[]
BBC Children's Books[]
Interludes[]
Gallifrey[]
Puffin eshort[]
Time Lord Fairy Tales[]
Twelve Doctors of Christmas[]
Tales of Terror[]
Thirteen Doctors, 13 Stories[]
The Wintertime Paradox[]
- He's Behind You
- Father of the Daleks
- Inflicting Christmas
- For the Girl Who Has Everything
- Visiting Hours
- We Will Feed You to the Trees
- Christmas with the Plasmavores
- A Girl Called Doubt
- A Perfect Christmas
- Missing Habitas Frond
- A Day to Yourselves
- The Paradox Moon
Origin Stories[]
Writing Credits[]
Novels[]
BBC New Series Adventures[]
- At Childhood's End - with Mike Tucker and Steve Cole
Short Stories[]
Origin Stories[]
Other[]
- Timewyrm: Genesys (foreword)
- Set Piece (afterword)
Reference Books[]
Miscellaneous[]
Audio Commentary[]
- Remembrance of the Daleks
- The Curse of Fenric
- Ghost Light
- Survival
- Battlefield
- Silver Nemesis
- Dragonfire
- The Happiness Patrol
- The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Documentary[]
Television[]
- The Making of Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis
- Thirty Years in the TARDIS
- The Story of Doctor Who
- The Ultimate Guide
VHS[]
DVD and Blu-ray[]
- Behind the Sofa
- Anti-Matter from Amsterdam - Presenter
- The Doctor's Table: Season 24
- Fire and Ice
- Back to School
- Remembrances
- Looking for Dursley
- Happiness Will Prevail
- Industrial Action
- The Show Must Go On
- Storm Over Avallion
- Past and Future King
- Watertank
- Light in Dark Places
- Little Girl Lost
- Buried Treasures: 30 Years of Fenric
- Cat Flap
- Doctor Who: Endgame
- Escape Room: Seventh Doctor
Doctor Who Confidential[]
Series 13 Documentaries[]
- The Power of the Doctor: Behind the Scenes
