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Otago Daily Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Jean Marsh, actress
Jean Marsh in a publicity portrait for the British TV drama series, Upstairs, Downstairs, ITV, 1976. Jean Marsh and close friend and collaborator Dame Eileen Atkins created not one but two hit TV series, Upstairs Downstairs and The House Of Eliott. While different in subject matter — the former focused on the servants quarters of an Edwardian home while the latter told the tale of sisters who established a fashion house in the 1920s, each shared female starring roles, great scripts and exceptional acting. Marsh was born in London but raised in Stoke Newington. She left school at 15 to train as a dancer, before building a career in repertory theatre as an actress. Her big break came in 1959 when she appeared on Broadway with John Gielgud in his production of Much Ado About Nothing. That same year she moved into television and during the 1960s appeared in such shows as The Saint and Doctor Who. Marsh had a long association with Doctor Who: as well as being married to the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, for five years, Marsh played Joan of England in The Crusade; Sara Kingdom, a companion of the First Doctor; and was a villain opposite the Seventh Doctor. Upstairs Downstairs first aired in 1971, and its five series earned two Bafta awards and Marsh won an Emmy for best actress. At its peak, viewership exceeded 18 million. The House of Eliott (1991-94), which the duo produced, proved equally as popular, rating highly and selling worldwide. In 2010 Marsh and Atkins remade Upstairs Downstairs, in which Marsh reprised her role as parlourmaid Rose Buck, but the show was overshadowed by another period blockbuster Downton Abbey. It was cancelled after its second season. Her film credits included Cleopatra (1963), The Eagle Has Landed, Return To Oz and Willow. Jean Marsh was made an OBE in 2012. She died on April 13 aged 90. — APL/agencies
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Upstairs, Downstairs and The House Of Eliott actress and creator dies aged 90
Upstairs, Downstairs actress and co-creator Jean Marsh has died at the age of 90. The Emmy-award winning star also co-created historical drama series The House Of Eliott. Her friend, director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, said in a statement issued through her agent: 'Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers. You could say we were very close for 60 years. "She was as wise and funny as anyone I ever met, as well as being very pretty and kind, and talented as both an actress and writer. An instinctively empathetic person who was loved by everyone who met her. We spoke on the phone almost every day for the past 40 years.' READ MORE: Martin Clunes admits his childhood wasn't 'idyllic' ahead of new TV show READ MORE: BBC's Fiona Bruce fumes at Welsh politician 'stop talking' in fiery Question Time row She was best known for playing the role of Rose in the British drama television series Upstairs, Downstairs, which she co-created with Dame Eileen Atkins. For her portrayal she won an Emmy at the 1976 awards ceremony in the category of outstanding lead actress in a limited series. Born Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh on July 1 1934 in Stoke Newington, north London, her mother worked in a bar and as a theatre dresser while her father was a handyman and printer's assistant. She became interested in performing after taking dance and mime classes as therapy for an illness and began acting on stage, with a stint at Huddersfield Rep in the 1950s. It was not long before she transferred to London and at the age of 12 the actress made her West End debut in The Land Of The Christmas Stocking at The Duke of York's Theatre. Her earliest screen appearances came in such TV classics as The Twilight Zone and Danger Man. She also appeared in Doctor Who adventures, most notably as William Hartnell's short-lived companion Sara Kingdom. Her most notable films were fantasy adventure Willow (1988), thriller Frenzy (1972) and war movie The Eagle Has Landed (1976). In 2007 the cast of Upstairs, Downstairs, including Marsh, reunited for the first time in more than 30 years for a TV special marking the 60th anniversary of the Bafta awards. Marsh said at the event: 'I clearly remember sitting in my friend Eileen Atkins' kitchen, nearly 40 years ago, discussing an idea for a series showing the contrast between upstairs and downstairs, and we were sharing stories about her father and my mother, both of whom had been in service.' The BBC revived the period drama in 2010 and Marsh returned as Rose. A minor stroke forced Marsh to take a break in 2011, but she returned to work afterwards. She was married to Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee for five years before their divorce in 1960 and she also had relationships with actors Kenneth Haigh, Albert Finney and Sir Michael. Marsh starred in a number of other TV series including Sense And Sensibility, Hawaii Five-O, and Murder, She Wrote. She was made an OBE in 2012 for her career in drama.
The Independent
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jean Marsh death: Upstairs, Downstairs actor and co-creator dies aged 90
Upstairs, Downstairs actor and co-creator Jean Marsh has died at the age of 90. The Emmy-award winning star also co-created the historical drama series The House Of Eliott. Her friend, director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg, said in a statement issued through her agent: 'Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers. 'You could say we were very close for 60 years. She was as wise and funny as anyone I ever met, as well as being very pretty and kind, and talented as both an actor and writer. 'An instinctively empathetic person who was loved by everyone who met her. We spoke on the phone almost every day for the past 40 years.' She was best known for playing the role of Rose in the British drama television series Upstairs, Downstairs, which she co-created with Dame Eileen Atkins. For her portrayal, she won an Emmy at the 1976 awards ceremony in the category of outstanding lead actress in a limited series. Born Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh on 1 July 1934 in Stoke Newington, north London, her mother worked in a bar and as a theatre dresser while her father was a handyman and printer's assistant. She became interested in performing after taking dance and mime classes as therapy for an illness and began acting on stage, with a stint at Huddersfield Rep in the 1950s. It was not long before she transferred to London and at the age of 12 the actor made her West End debut in The Land Of The Christmas Stocking at The Duke of York's Theatre. Her earliest screen appearances came in such TV classics as The Twilight Zone and Danger Man. She also appeared in Doctor Who adventures, most notably as William Hartnell's short-lived companion Sara Kingdom. Her most notable films were fantasy adventure Willow (1988), thriller Frenzy (1972) and war movie The Eagle Has Landed (1976). In 2007 the cast of Upstairs, Downstairs, including Ms Marsh, reunited for the first time in more than 30 years for a TV special marking the 60th anniversary of the Bafta awards. Ms Marsh said at the event: 'I clearly remember sitting in my friend Eileen Atkins' kitchen, nearly 40 years ago, discussing an idea for a series showing the contrast between upstairs and downstairs, and we were sharing stories about her father and my mother, both of whom had been in service.' The BBC revived the period drama in 2010 and Ms Marsh returned as Rose. A minor stroke forced Ms Marsh to take a break in 2011 but she returned to work afterwards. She was married to Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee for five years before their divorce in 1960 and she also had relationships with actors Kenneth Haigh, Albert Finney and Sir Michael. Ms Marsh starred in a number of other TV series including Sense And Sensibility, Hawaii Five-O, and Murder, She Wrote. She was made an OBE in 2012 for her career in drama.
