British actress Jean Marsh has passed away at the age of 90. Source: MEGA
Jean Marsh, the renowned British actress best known for her roles in several beloved ’80s films, has passed away at the age of 90.
Lesley Duf, Marsh’s long-time agent, confirmed that the Return to Oz star died on Sunday after battling complications from dementia.
Duff shared a statement from Marsh’s longtime friend, music video pioneer Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who revealed that the actress passed away at her London home.
Lindsay-Hogg, who had been close friends with Marsh for 60 years, expressed that they spoke almost every day for the past 40 years.
Lindsay-Hogg described Marsh as a wise, funny, beautiful, and kind soul, a talented actress and writer who was adored by all who knew her.
Marsh’s legacy includes co-creating the beloved Upstairs, Downstairs, for which she won an Emmy for her portrayal of the prim and proper parlormaid, Rose Buck, in the iconic ITV drama.
In the world of Doctor Who, Marsh is fondly remembered for her role as Sara Kingdom, a fierce ally to William Hartnell’s Doctor, as they battled the mutant Daleks during the show’s third season (1965–66).
A year earlier, she played Joanna, the French princess and sister of King Edward, in the Doctor Who serial The Crusade, and later returned to the series in 1989 as the formidable sorceress Morgaine in the Battlefield storyline.
The London-born actress also made notable appearances in the 1959 episode “The Lonely” of CBS’ The Twilight Zone. She later took on the role of Roz in the 1982–83 ABC sitcom adaptation of 9 to 5.
On the big screen, Marsh portrayed Octavia in Cleopatra, a secretary to Barbara Leigh-Hunt’s character in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy, a Nazi collaborator in John Sturges’ The Eagle Has Landed, and played sinister witches in Return to Oz and Ron Howard’s Willow.
Marsh also had a distinguished presence in the theater, performing regularly in the West End and appearing on Broadway three times, where she shared the stage with legendary stars like John Gielgud, Celeste Holm, and Tom Conti.
In collaboration with her best friend Eileen Atkins, she co-created the groundbreaking drama Upstairs, Downstairs, which explored the lives of both the aristocratic family and their servants in a London household.
Marsh portrayed the beloved maid Rose throughout all five seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs, which aired from 1971 to 1975.
Her performance earned her three consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Limited Series, with a win in 1975 solidifying her place among television’s elite.
In addition to her acting career, Marsh was also a published author. She wrote several novels, including two inspired by The House of Eliott following the show’s success, as well as Finders Keepers and Iris. Her contributions to the arts were recognized in 2012 when she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Marsh never had children. She was married to fellow Doctor Who actor Jon Pertwee—15 years her senior—from 1955 until their divorce in 1960.
She later had romantic relationships with actor Albert Finney, Kenneth Haigh, and director Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
