He added that Curzon loved revisiting memories from her busiest years in film and television, especially her time around major stars in Britain and the United States.
“She was just a joy to be around and she loved recounting old stories about what happened in the 60s and 70s and the people she used to mix with, people like Robert Wagner and all these big stars when she lived in America,” Sims said.
Why her Doctor Who role endured
Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD was the second of only three films about the famous Time Lord to be released. Curzon appeared opposite Cushing, whose film version of the Doctor remains a curious and much-discussed branch of Doctor Who history.
The movie did not exactly receive a hero’s welcome from critics at the time. That has not stopped it from becoming a cult favourite, because science fiction audiences have a long record of rescuing films from the people paid to judge them first.
For Curzon, the role of Louise became her clearest link to a fandom that tends to remember even one-off appearances with unusual precision. Her part may have been a single visit to that universe, but it was enough to make her a familiar name to generations of Doctor Who viewers.
A varied career across film and television
Curzon’s wider career included a run of film and television roles during the 1960s, when she worked across drama, comedy, adventure and espionage stories.
Her credits included appearances alongside Cliff Robertson in The Sunshine Patriot and Robert Wagner in It Takes A Thief. She also appeared in Dr Syn, Alias The Scarecrow and in the Morecambe and Wise film The Intelligence Men.
On television, Curzon’s work included roles in:
- The Saint
- The Champions
- Adam Adamant Lives!
- Hugh And I
- Not Only But Also
- The Dick Emery Show
It was the kind of career that moved easily through the entertainment landscape of the period, from spy-flavoured drama to broad comedy to science fiction that would later be rewatched, reappraised and carefully filed in the minds of fans.
A memoir shaped by memory and care
Sims said Curzon’s memoir was a “labour of love” and reflected her desire to get the details right.
“It was great just to hear her stories. That’s why the book that she wrote was a labour of love,” he said. “I think it took her about 12 years to write that book, because she wanted to make sure it was spot on and it was right.”
He remembered her career not as something she simply completed, but as something she actively enjoyed.
“She had a long, varied career and enjoyed every minute,” Sims said.
He added: “The one thing I will always remember about Jill was she had a real zest for life, and she just embraced everything that came her way.”
For an actress whose best-known role involved a future Earth under alien occupation, the tributes around Curzon are notably grounded: a friend remembered the stories, the generosity and the pleasure she took in a life lived among remarkable people.
