Jean Marsh, Actress and Co- Creator of ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ passed away aged 90

Emmy Winning British actress Jean Marsh sadly passed away on Sunday as the British audience, fans and family mourn for her death. The actress is known for playing the pristine character of parlormaid Rose Buck on the ITV Drama, ‘Upstairs Downstairs’, which she co- created. 

The actress has been facing dementia and has unfortunately passed away at her home in London due to the consequences of the same, reports The New York Times. With an impressive filmography spanning for decades in TV and Theatre, Jean Marsh also had iconic roles in movies and series. 

The actress played the role of Sarah Kingdom, an associate of the Doctor in the Sci-fi series ‘Doctor Who’, which aired in 1965-66. After a while, Jean started working on American TV in series like ‘The Lonely’ aired in the late 50s, ABC’s ‘9 to 5’ and others. Jean Marsh’s vibrant and eccentric acting and delivery made her stand alone among her contemporaries, taking her places and having a unique vision over her career.

In movies, Jean Marsh is popular for playing Octabia, the wife of Mark Antony in the 1963 ‘Cleopatra’ and Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Frenzy’. Taking up roles in ‘Return of the Oz’ (1985) and ‘The Eagle Has Landed’ (1976) have made her boost up another level of fame, cementing her name as a notable figure in popular culture. 

Along with her longtime friend Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh has created the ‘Upstairs Downstairs’, a British series that spanned the years from 1903 – 1930. This series also bagged her an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress, which she was nominated thrice in a row, finally winning in 1975. She also had the unique history as being nominated for an Emmy for the same role as Rose Buck, now an housekeeper in BBC’s reboot version. 

A truly unique talent and a great visionary whose love for creating stories and reading books made her remarkable, just like her personality. Jean Marsh’s contribution to British TV and cinema will be remembered. Marsh never married but had been married to John Pertwee, her co-star in Doctor Who but divorced later.