Jean Marsh, ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ Star and Co-Creator, Dies at 90

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As a gamer putting on my historical drama hat, I’d share: “I recently learned about the passing of Jean Marsh, a remarkable British actress who breathed life into the character of Rose Buck in Upstairs, Downstairs. Known for her role as the prim and proper parlormaid, she won an Emmy for her captivating performance on this acclaimed ITV series. She was 90 years old.

Marsh passed away on Sunday at his residence in London due to issues related to dementia, as confirmed by filmmaker and dear friend Michael Lindsay-Hogg to The New York Times.

Scholars of “Doctor Who” recognize Marsh for her role as Sara Kingdom, a character who effectively aided William Hartnell’s Doctor in his battle against the mutant Daleks during the third season of the BBC science fiction show back in 1965-66.

One year prior, she portrayed King Edward’s French princess sister, Joanna, in the television series “The Crusade.” Later, in 1989, she reappeared as the merciless sorceress Morgaine in the narrative “Battlefield” for the same show.

In American television series, a London native played roles such as an android who entertained a prisoner (Jack Warden) on the 1959’s “The Lonely,” the seventh episode of CBS’ “The Twilight Zone”, and she was portrayed as the self-proclaimed “office nuisance” Roz in the 1982-83 adaptation of “9 to 5” on ABC.

In addition to her roles in marshy landscapes, the woman with green eyes, also known as Marsh, made a mark on the silver screen. She portrayed Octavia, the wife of Richard Burton’s Mark Antony, in the 1963 film ‘Cleopatra’. Later, she served as a secretary to Barbara Leigh-Hunt’s character in ‘Frenzy’, a 1972 production directed by Alfred Hitchcock. She took on a more sinister role as a Nazi collaborator in John Sturges’ ‘The Eagle Has Landed’ (1976). In the fantastical world of films, she played wicked witches in Walter Murch’s ‘Return to Oz’ (1985) and Ron Howard’s ‘Willow’ (1988).

She often performed on West End stages and visited Broadway three times, sharing the spotlight with notable actors such as John Gielgud, Celeste Holm, and Tom Conti.

Marsh and her close friend, actress Eileen Atkins – both hailing from humble working-class origins – were the minds behind the show “Upstairs, Downstairs,” which unfolded in a grand London mansion at 165 Eaton Place, housing an aristocratic British family. In all five seasons from 1971 to 1975, Marsh portrayed Rose, the maid in the household, as the London Weekend Television series covered the time span of 1903 to 1930.

For three consecutive years, Marsh received a nomination for the Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Limited Series. She clinched the victory in the year 1975.

In my own words as a grateful gamer, “I’m blown away that everyone here in California, and across the nation, have chosen to honor me, an outsider, with this prestigious award. It’s not just kind, it’s open-minded, and truly reflective of the American spirit.

In 2010-12, Marsh came back to the BBC’s remake of Upstairs, Downstairs , this time as a promoted housekeeper, but her stay was short due to a minor stroke. Interestingly, she was the lone actor who appeared in both the original and revived series.

When once queried whether she possessed some part of the television series “Upstairs, Downstairs“, she stated: “I receive a recurring payment for the concept just as I do for my acting performances. It’s a relatively small amount. Initially, I think I received around $100 per episode for the idea, and my royalties are calculated based on that rate. I have a phrase: ‘Had it been produced in America, I would be Mary Tyler Moore. As it stands, I am Mary Tyler Moore-like.’

Jean Torren Marsh, the younger of two sisters, was born in London on July 1, 1934. Her parents, Emma (a barmaid) and John (a newspaper press worker), were passionate about arts during their time. They instilled a deep respect for words in her, as she herself stated in 1997.

In her childhood, she experienced periods of immobility, possibly including a mental freeze-up on one occasion, as well as dealing with Bell’s palsy. Believing that physical activity could enhance her strength, her parents enrolled her in a dance school.

Apart from her frequent engagements, she often immersed herself in the company of books, and there came a moment when she pondered, “I find reading incredibly enjoyable; perhaps I could try my hand at writing?

As a budding performer, I followed in the footsteps of the legendary Jean Simmons by attending the prestigious Aida Foster Theatre School. Later, during the festive season, I had the privilege to dance on the West End stage. My professional acting career kicked off when I shared the limelight with Sonnie Hale in the quirky play “Pardon My Claws“, where I portrayed an intriguing character who transforms into a feline.

Following several years in local theater productions, Marsh made her Broadway debut in 1959, starring as Hero alongside Gielgud (who also directed) in a Broadway performance of “Much Ado About Nothing”. That same year, she acted alongside Laurence Olivier in the NBC television adaptation of “The Moon and Sixpence” and made an appearance on “The Twilight Zone”.

In the television series “Doctor Who”, Sara Kingdom’s character perished when she was struck by a toxic bullet, which accelerated her aging process and eventually reduced her to powder. As she reminisced in 2013, her initial appearance appeared somewhat aged, followed by her attempts to escape from her pursuers, who only made her look older with each attempt. Eventually, the makeup team added so many wrinkles that they replaced her character with an old woman, who was portrayed as lying motionless on the floor.

As an admirer looking back, I’d share that this notable figure graced the screens of shows like “Danger Man,” “I Spy,” and “The Saint.” She was also a constant presence on the series “The Informer,” which featured Ian Hendry in the leading role. Later on, she donned the waitress apron for “Charlie Bubbles” (1967), a film written, directed, and starring Albert Finney. In a unique twist, her compensation for this project was a bottle of champagne, which he generously upgraded to a bottle of brandy when she needed to return the following day, as she recounted.

In a 1998 interview, Marsh and Atkins stated their intent for “Upstairs, Downstairs” was to depict the lives of those working downstairs, serving the upper class. By doing so, viewers would first see the opulence upstairs, then move downstairs to witness the harsh realities faced by the servants. Although the upstairs scenes occupied two-thirds of the show’s time, they believed both perspectives held equal importance and significance.

They teamed up to produce yet another historical drama, titled “The House of Eliott,” which aired on BBC from 1991-94. This series follows the lives of two sisters (Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard) who run a dressmaking business in the 1920s London.

Marsh reappeared on Broadway in 1975 for the production of “Habeas Corpus” alongside Holm, June Havoc, and Richard Gere, and again in 1979 to perform alongside Conti in “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” More recently, she has been part of West End revivals such as “Boeing Boeing” in 2007 and “The Portrait of a Lady,” directed by Peter Hall, in 2008.

Her resume featured roles in several films, such as “The Rebel” (1961), “Unearthly Stranger” (1964), “The Limbo Line” (1968), “Dark Places” (1973), “The Changeling” (1980), and “Monarch” (2000). She also appeared as a villainous Nazi actress in the 1994 HBO movie “Fatherland”, and worked on British TV comedies like “No Strings” and “Sensitive Skin”.

Marsh penned various novels after her series, including two inspired by “The House of Eliott” – “Finders Keepers” and “Iris,” among others.

When I’m crafting a story, it often feels like the characters are leading me instead of the other way around,” she explained. “I can’t help but compare it to situations where my characters seem to act on their own accord, even without my explicit approval. While working on Fiennders Keepers, one character passed away unannounced, and I recall feeling quite emotional about it. I had to pause and unwind with a glass of wine.

She was awarded an OBE in 2012.

Marsh, a woman who didn’t have any children, was wed to Jon Pertwee, a star of the ’70s Doctor Who series, who was 15 years older than her, from 1955 until their divorce in 1960. Later on, she had romantic liaisons with actors Finney and Kenneth Haigh, as well as director Michael Lindsay-Hogg.

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2025-04-13 23:25