Jean Marsh

Jean Marsh Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: July 1, 1934

Age: 89 years old

Birth Place: Stoke Newington, London, UK

A genuine class act, Jean Marsh won raves in her native England and on American soil for taking on nuanced roles onscreen. The Emmy Award-winning actress first made her mark in British productions, from Shakespearean stage revivals, to sci-fi epics, to costume dramas. However, it was Marsh's breakout performance on "Upstairs, Downstairs" (ITV, 1971-75), a period drama series she also created, that earned the actress favorable reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Her role as a prim and proper housemaid to an aristocratic British family won Marsh an Emmy in 1975, establishing her presence in Hollywood. She parlayed her success on British television into big screen projects, often playing the villain in feature films such as "Return to Oz" (1985) and "Willow" (1985). In 2010, Marsh starred on the three-part revival of "Upstairs, Downstairs," which garnered more critical praise and gave her the opportunity to reprise one of the best characters in her long revered career.

Jean Lyndsay Torren Marsh was born on July 1, 1934 in the Stoke Newington district in London, England. Her father was a printer's assistant and maintenance man, while her mother worked as a dresser for the theater and also tended a bar. Marsh studied acting and mime as a child before taking her first steps in the entertainment business as a cabaret singer, model and dancer. She first graced the Broadway stage in a 1950s production of "Much Ado About Nothing" with acclaimed British actor, director and producer John Gielgud. Marsh made her onscreen acting debut in the made-for-television movie "The Infinite Shoeblack" (BBC, 1952). The actress' early career consisted of several appearances on television, from playing a female robot in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" (CBS, 1959-1964), to appearing on "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" (ABC, 1954-1961; NBC, 1961-1981; CBS, 1981-83; ABC, 1986-88; NBC, 1988-1990) and "I Spy" (NBC, 1965-68). Yet it was on British television where Marsh established her career with recurring roles on the original installment of the long-running science fiction drama "Doctor Who" (BBC, 1963-1989). She first appeared on the series in 1965 as a medieval crusader and continued to guest star until 1989.

In 1971, Marsh and fellow British actress Eileen Atkins created the drama series "Upstairs, Downstairs" about a wealthy family living in London and the housemaids who served them. Marsh played Rose Buck, the head parlor maid of an aristocratic household. Playing the prim and proper servant earned the actress an Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, a category she was also nominated for in 1974 and 1976. Additionally, she was nominated twice (1975 and 1977) for her work on "Upstairs, Downstairs" in the Best TV Actress - Drama category at the Golden Globe Awards. After several guest appearances on American television, Marsh landed a supporting role on the short-lived comedy series "Nine to Five" (ABC, 1982-83). Based on the 1980 film of the same name, "Nine to Five" followed three friends (Rachel Dennison, Valerie Curtin and Sally Struthers) as they navigated their careers, friendship, and love lives in the corporate world.

Marsh further enthralled audiences by playing a villain in feature films, including the wicked witch Mombi in "Return to Oz" and the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda in "Willow." Twenty years after "Upstairs, Downstairs" premiered, Marsh and Atkins reteamed to create "The House of Eliott," about two dressmaking sisters living in 1920s London. Both Marsh and Atkins, however, did not act on the show. Marsh easily slipped back into a villainous character with a recurring role on the young adult series "The Tomorrow People" (ITV, 1992-95) as a mysterious and sinister doctor. The actress returned to her theater roots in 2007 with the West End revival of "Boeing-Boeing" (1960), about a Parisian architect juggling three fiancées. Marsh reprised her acclaimed role of Rose on the 2010 revival of "Upstairs, Downstairs." The three-part series began with her character running her own maid service in London, but only to return as head housekeeper to the same house where she previously served, after discovering a new family had moved in. Marsh's return to "Upstairs, Downstairs" earned her a 2011 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Mini-series or Movie.

Credits

Outlier

Actor
Lilith Winterbottom
Movie
2014

Upstairs Downstairs

Actor
Rose Buck
Show
2010

The Heavy

Actor
Mrs. Mason
Movie
2010

Crooked House

Actor
Show
2008

Sensitive Skin

Actor
Lizzie Galbraith
Show
2005

Monarch: Henry VIII

Actor
The Queens
Movie
2000

Monarch

Actor
The Queens
Movie
2000

Holby City

Actor
Vera Engells
Show
1999

The Ring

Actor
Movie
1996

Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse

Actor
Thyrza Grey
Movie
1996

Dangerfield

Actor
Show
1995

Fatherland

Actor
Anna von Hagen
Movie
1994

Bejewelled

Actor
Barbara
Movie
1991

Act of Will

Actor
Show
1989

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Actor
Morgana
Movie
1989

Quand le destin bascule

Actor
Movie
1989

WillowStream

Actor
Queen Bavmorda
Movie
1988
53%

The Corsican Brothers

Actor
Mazzere
Movie
1985

Return to Oz

Actor
Nurse Wilson/Mombi
Movie
1985

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Glenda Highsmith
Series
1984

Master of the Game

Actor
Mrs. Talley
Show
1984

Nine to Five

Actor
Roz Keith
Series
1982

Goliath Awaits

Actor
Show
1981

See China and Die

Actor
Sally Hackman
Movie
1980

The Changeling

Actor
Joanna Russell
Movie
1980

Trapper John, M.D.

Guest Star
Series
1979

The Eagle Has LandedStream

Actor
Joanna Grey
Movie
1976
67%

Dark Places

Actor
Victoria
Movie
1974

The WaltonsStream

Guest Star
Series
1972

FrenzyStream

Actor
Monica Barling
Movie
1972
91%

Upstairs, DownstairsStream

Actor
Series
1971

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

Actor
Mrs Vanrenen
Show
1971

I SpyStream

Guest Star
Series
1965

The Informer

Actor
Show
1965

Doctor WhoStream

Actor
Series
1963
68%

Classic Doctor Who

Actor
Morgaine
Show
1963

Classic Doctor Who

Guest Star
Morgaine
Show
1963

Back to Back

Actor
Movie
1963

The SaintStream

Guest Star
Helen Phillips
Series
1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Actor
Talk
1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Guest
Talk
1962

The Horsemasters

Actor
Andrienne
Movie
1961

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre

Actor
Grace
Show
1960

The Twilight ZoneStream

Actor
Alicia
Series
1959
92%

The Limping Man

Actor
Landlady's Daughter
Movie
1953