Sarah Douglas (born 12 December 1952) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Ursa in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), Queen Taramis in Conan the Destroyer (1984), Pamela Lynch in Falcon Crest (1983–85), and Jindah Kol Rozz in Supergirl (2018).
Early life and career Douglas was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, the second daughter of Beryl ( Smith), a physiotherapist who often worked upon RSC actors, and Edward Douglas, a career member of the Royal Air Force. She attended Alcester Grammar School before training with the National Youth Theatre and the Rose Bruford College.
Eventually, Douglas's career took her in front of the camera with small appearances in the 1973 film The Final Programme (alternatively known as The Last Days of Man on Earth) and Rollerball in 1975. After this, she became known to British television audiences in the 1970s by appearing in The Howerd Confessions, the 1973 television edition of Dracula, The Inheritors, Space: 1999, and Return of the Saint, and appeared in the film The People That Time Forgot (1977) and the controversial film The Brute (1977), in which she played an abused wife.
After an intensive casting call in which she beat out over 600 actresses for the part, including Caroline Munro and Marilù Tolo, Douglas secured her first major feature film role as the supporting antagonist Ursa in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980); her performance garnered critical acclaim and became her signature role. She then accepted the role of the main antagonist Queen Taramis opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones and Olivia d'Abo in the sword-and-sorcery epic fantasy film Conan the Destroyer (1984).
Douglas also continued to appear on television, and was a series regular in the short-lived British sitcom Thundercloud in 1979. Throughout the 1980s, she went on to appear in a variety of guest roles in UK and US series such as The Professionals, Bergerac, Hotel, Magnum, P.I., Sledge Hammer! and Remington Steele. However, her most prominent television role was that of Pamela Lynch in the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest, which she played for two seasons from 1983 to 1985. She also played Pamela in the 1984 television miniseries V: The Final Battle and portrayed supporting characters in The Return of Swamp Thing (1989), Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991) and Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) among others.
In the 1990s, she returned to science fiction, guest starring in Babylon 5 (in the 1994 episode "Deathwalker"), and in Stargate SG-1 (in the 1998 two-part episode "The Tok'ra"). She also voiced characters in episodes of several animated TV series, including Iron Man, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Superman: The Animated Series, Heavy Gear: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond.
In 2003, Douglas returned to the UK to appear in a nationwide tour of Hamlet playing alongside actress Emily Lloyd. The following year, she completed a run in London's West End in the play Roast Beef playing the role of Clytemnestra. Also in 2004, Douglas completed an audio commentary for the Special Edition DVD of Conan the Destroyer.
In 2006, she performed in the audio drama Sapphire and Steel: The Mystery of the Missing Hour alongside David Warner, and she was reunited with many of her Superman co-stars in Los Angeles as a new version of Superman II (known as Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut) was released with previously unseen footage. At the same time, a new Superman DVD boxset was released, featuring an interview with Douglas and her original screen test.
Douglas' later appearances included the television films Gryphon (2007), Witchville (2010) and Strippers vs Werewolves (2012), and she participated in the audio recordings for Stargate Atlantis. Additionally, Douglas completed work on a series of radio plays for the BBC and voiced Scar in Green Lantern: The Animated Series. After this, she returned to the London stage, appearing in The Hallowe'en Sessions at the Leicester Square Theatre from 29 October to 3 November 2012 to positive reviews. She has continued to appear on film, stage, television and radio, in addition to appearing in Supergirl (2018) continued the tradition of re-casting former Superman stars, and cast Douglas as Jindah Kol Rozz in the episode "Fort Rozz".. In 2017 Douglas appeared as Mrs. Averill in the Netflix production A Christmas Prince and its two subsequent sequels.
Personal life From 1981 to 1984, Douglas was married to fellow actor Richard LeParmentier (d.2013).
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1973Catherine1977DianeCharly1978SupermanUrsa1980Superman II1984Conan the DestroyerQueen Taramis1986SolarbabiesShandray1987Steele JusticeKay1988NightfallRoa1989Dr. Lana Zurrell1991DalíGalaBeastmaster 2: Through the Portal of TimeLyrannaSaraPuppet Master III: Toulon's RevengeElsa ToulonDirect-to-video1992Meatballs 4Monica Shavetts1993Return of the Living Dead 3Lieutenant Colonel SinclairQuest of the Delta KnightsMadam MaaydeedDirect-to-video1994Mirror, Mirror 2: Raven DanceNicolette1995SpitfireCarla DavisThe DemolitionistThe SurgeonVoodooProfessor ConnerMonster MashCountess Natasha 'Nasty' Dracula1997AsylumDr. Emily Hill1998Hell MountainDaneeka1999Changing DirectionsSarah JohnsonShort film2007GryphonQueen Cassandra of Delphi2011Halloween: H33Dr. LoomisShort film2012Strippers vs WerewolvesJeanette2016DisplacementDr. Miles 2017Mrs. Averill20182019
Television Year Title Role Notes1973ITV Sunday Night TheatreJoyce LanglandEpisode: "Harlequinade"Black and BlueBeautiful GirlEpisode: "Secrets"1974DraculaDracula's WifeTelevision filmJusticeJenny Deane2 episodesJennie GarrettTV series1976BBC2 PlayhouseMiss RadsonEpisode: "The Mind Beyond: Meriel, the Ghost Girl"LolaEpisode: "1.6"Space: 1999BEpisode: "The AB Chrysalis"1977WarshipAmandaEpisode: "Robertson Crusoe"Esther WatersMiss PeggyEpisode: "1.1"Seven Faces of WomenMarianneEpisode: "She: Eye of the Beholder"1978Return of the SaintSheila NorthcottEpisode: "The Arrangement"1979Room ServiceMrs. MartindaleEpisode: "1.7"ThundercloudBella HarringtonTV series1980Dr. Kate RossEpisode: "Wild Justice"1981BergeracAnne BeresfordEpisode: "Last Chance for a Loser"1983–1985Falcon CrestPamela Lynch51 episodes: recurring (season 3), main cast (season 4)1984V: The Final BattlePamelaTV miniseries1985Murder, She WroteViolet WeemsEpisode: "Sing a Song of Murder"1986Magnum, P.I.Isobel Dumout, Countess Jacklyn Fabre DumoutEpisode: "All Thieves on Deck"HotelStella FalcoEpisode: "Hearts Divided"Lady WhitehurstEpisode: "It Takes a Chimp"1987Remington SteeleShannon WayneEpisode: "Steele Hanging in There"MatlockBarbara SutcliffeEpisode: "The Therapist"Sledge Hammer!Mrs. Emily CarstairsEpisode: "Play It Again Sledge"Eight Is Enough: A Family ReunionLeona StarkTelevision film1989Dr. Emma GaborEpisode: "It's Just the Gypsy in My Soul"1990Father Dowling MysteriesMrs. GibbonsEpisode: "The Royal Mystery"Super ForceDr. VeronaEpisode: "The Crime Doctor"1991TaggetMrs. SandsTelevision film1993TarzánKiki BluetEpisode: "Tarzan and the Fountain of Youth"Almost HomeLady HarringtonEpisode: "The Fox and the Hound"1994Babylon 5Deathwalker, Jha'DurEpisode: "Deathwalker"Iron ManAlana Ulanova (voice)Episode: "Enemy Within, Enemy Without"1995GargoylesUna (voice)Episode: "M.I.A." A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1996Dr. Frances BorzageTelevision filmTo the Ends of TimeKarnissaMrs. Cadbury (voice)Episode: "Village of the Doomed"1997L.A. HeatWilmaEpisode: "Electra"1998Stargate SG-1Yosuuf, Garshaw of BeloteEpisode: "The Tok'ra"1999Superman: The Animated SeriesMala (voice)Episode: "Absolute Power"1999–2000Batman BeyondDonna Walker / Queen (voice)2 episodes2001Heavy Gear: The Animated SeriesCol. Magnilda Rykka (voice)2005Crown Court JudgeEpisode: "Blame"2008Zorro: Generation ZGloria Sheffield2 episodesDoctorsStacy MorganEpisode: "Hearts and Minds"2010WitchvilleThe Red QueenTelevision film2012–2013Green Lantern: The Animated SeriesScar (voice)4 episodes2015EmmerdaleConsultant2 episodes2018SupergirlJindah Kol RozEpisode: "Fort Rozz"2019Holby CityVictoria ParkerEpisode: "Ex Marks The Spot"2025Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private InvestigatorsPortia FrostEpisode: "Daggers of the Mind"
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