Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
July 1, 1934
Place of Birth:
Stoke Newington, London, England, UK
Social Media
Jean Marsh
Biography
Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh (1 July 1934 – 13 April 2025) was an English actress and writer. Born in London, Jean Marsh became interested in show business while taking dancing and mime classes as therapy for a childhood illness. After attending a charm school and working as a model, she started acting in repertory and took voice lessons. Her repertory work was supplemented by a number of film appearances as a dancer. She then spent three years in America, appearing in Sir John Gielgud's Broadway production of "Much Ado About Nothing" and numerous TV shows, including an episode of "The Twilight Zone"(1959). Returning to London, she won roles on stage, film and TV. It was during this period that she appeared in "Doctor Who" (1963), first as Princess Joanna in "The Crusade" and then as Sara Kingdom in "The Daleks' Master Plan." In the early 1970s she co-created and starred in LWT's "Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971). Since then she has maintained a very busy career in the theatre, on TV - including a starring role in the US sitcom "9 to 5"(1982) and films such as Return to Oz (1985) and Willow (1988). She also co-created another successful series, "The House of Eliott" (1991).
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Outlier | |
| 2011 | The Last Post | Colette |
| 2010 | The Heavy | Mrs. Mason |
| 2007 | The 50 Greatest Television Dramas | Self |
| 2002 | After Upstairs Downstairs | Self |
| 2000 | Monarch | The Queens |
| 1997 | Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse | Thyrza Grey |
| 1994 | Fatherland | Anna von Hagen |
| 1992 | Adam Bede | Lisbeth Bede |
| 1991 | Bejewelled | Barbara |
| 1990 | Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! | Self (archive footage) |
| 1989 | Danny the Champion of the World | Miss Hunter |
| 1989 | A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court | Morgana |
| 1989 | Doctor Who: Battlefield | Morgaine |
| 1988 | Willow | Queen Bavmorda |
| 1988 | Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie | Self |
| 1985 | Return to Oz | Nurse Wilson / Mombi |
| 1985 | The Corsican Brothers | Mazzere |
| 1984 | Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks | Sara Kingdom (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1984 | Royal Variety Performance 1984 | |
| 1981 | See China and Die | Sally Hackman |
| 1980 | The Changeling | Joanna Russell |
| 1976 | The Eagle Has Landed | Joanna Grey |
| 1974 | UFO: Radar contact... They're landing! | |
| 1973 | Dark Places | Victoria |
| 1973 | The Persuaders! | Nicola |
| 1972 | Frenzy | Monica Barling |
| 1972 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | Mother on moonrocket |
| 1971 | Skin Deep | Madeleine Walsh |
| 1970 | Jane Eyre | Mrs. Rochester |
| 1969 | The Limbo Line | |
| 1968 | A Bit of Crucifixion, Father | Edna |
| 1968 | Charlie Bubbles | Waitress (uncredited) |
| 1966 | Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan | Sara Kingdom |
| 1965 | Doctor Who: The Crusade | Joanna |
| 1964 | Face of a Stranger | Grace |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | Octavia |
| 1963 | Unearthly Stranger | Miss Ballard |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | Octavia (uncredited) |
| 1962 | Heart to Heart | Peggy Mann |
| 1961 | The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone | Party Guest (uncredited) |
| 1961 | The Horsemasters | Andrienne |
| 1961 | The Horsemasters | Ingrid |
| 1961 | The Rebel | Strange Woman at Party (Uncredited) |
| 1959 | Back to Back | Caroline |
| 1959 | The Moon and Sixpence | Ata |
| 1954 | The Love Lottery | Dancer in Sally's Dream (uncredited) |
| 1953 | The Limping Man | Landlady's Daughter |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Willow | Queen Bavmorda |
| 2014 | Grantchester | Daisy Livingstone |
| 2010 | Upstairs Downstairs | Rose Buck |
| 2008 | Sense and Sensibility | Mrs Ferrars |
| 2008 | Crooked House | Lady Constance de Momery |
| 2006 | The One Show | Self - Guest |
| 2004 | The Paul O'Grady Show | |
| 2004 | Julian Fellowes Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder | Violet Sidney |
| 2000 | The Ghost Hunter | Mrs Croker |
| 1999 | Holby City | Vera Engells |
| 1994 | The All New Alexei Sayle Show | |
| 1989 | No Strings | Rosie Tindall |
| 1984 | Murder, She Wrote | Glenda Highsmith |
| 1984 | Tales from the Darkside | Joan Matlin |
| 1984 | Master of the Game | Mrs. Talley |
| 1982 | 9 to 5 | Roz Keith |
| 1981 | Goliath Awaits | Dr. Goldman |
| 1979 | Trapper John, M.D. | |
| 1977 | The Love Boat | Celia Hoffman |
| 1972 | The Waltons | Hilary von Kleist |
| 1971 | Upstairs, Downstairs | Rose Buck |
| 1971 | The Persuaders! | Nicola |
| 1971 | Upstairs, Downstairs | self |
| 1971 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Mrs. Vanrenen |
| 1970 | UFO | Janna |
| 1970 | Play for Today | Madeleine Walsh |
| 1969 | Department S | Agatha Pollen |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O | Sister Harmony |
| 1968 | The Expert | Sybil Houghton |
| 1968 | The Dick Cavett Show | Self - Guest |
| 1966 | The Informer | Sylvia Parrish |
| 1965 | Gideon's Way | Sandra Casey |
| 1965 | Gideon's Way | Elspeth McCrae |
| 1964 | Story Parade | Lorraine |
| 1963 | Doctor Who | Sara Kingdom |
| 1963 | Doctor Who | Morgaine |
| 1962 | The Saint | Anne Kirby |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
| 1962 | The Saint | Maria |
| 1962 | The Saint | Helen Phillips |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self |
| 1960 | Danger Man | |
| 1959 | The Twilight Zone | Alicia |
| 1959 | The Third Man | Helene |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Mazzere |