Elisabeth Sladen, the actress who portrayed investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith on and off throughout the history of the BBC‘s long-running science fiction series Doctor Who, and more recently on the CBBC series, The Sarah Jane Adventures passed away yesterday. Sladen was 63 years-old.

The BBC reports that Sladen had been suffering from cancer.

Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, said:

“I just can’t believe that Lis is gone. She seemed invincible. The same woman who enchanted my childhood, enchanted my time on Doctor Who and enchanted generations who have watched her and fallen in love with her – just like I did. I feel very honoured to have shared a TARDIS with Sarah Jane Smith, and I feel very lucky to have shared some time with Lis Sladen. She was extraordinary.”

Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, said:

“What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who. And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely. I will miss her, as will the world of Doctor Who and all the Doctors that had the good pleasure to work with Lis Sladen and travel the universe with Sarah Jane.”

Elisabeth Sladen is survived by her husband, actor Brian Miller and her daughter, Sadie.

Everyone here at SciFiMafia would like to extend our condolences to Sladen’s family, the cast and crews of both Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, along with all of the broken-hearted fans across the globe.