IRISH actress Orla Brady has been cast in the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.
The 52-year-old will play mysterious woman from the Doctor’s past - Tasha Lem – in Matt Smith’s final outing as the Time Lord.
Brady – whose TV credits include BBC One’s Mistresses, ITV’s Eternal Law and Sky1’s Sinbad – will play a central role in the episode.
"The episode will be revolved around her," a spokesperson for the show said.
She also appeared as the Countess Rossakoff in TV series Poirot and starred in award winning Irish film A Love Divided with Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans) in 1998.
Producers anticipate that the festive Doctor Who episode will draw record ratings, as more than 10 million people tuned into the 50th anniversary special over the weekend.
Smith's successor Peter Capaldi is expected to make his debut in the special, having appeared in a cameo during anniversary special.
The actor will become the 12th Doctor Who.
