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' .
A cabaret singer and photo model in her early years while studying acting and mime.
Co-created (with actress Eileen Atkins ), her most memorable series "Upstairs, Downstairs" which ran from 1971 to 1975. The two actresses later co-created "The House of Eliott" for BBC TV.
Voted for best actress for Battlefield by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine.
Along with Lalla Ward , she is one of two actresses to play a companion in "Doctor Who" who was once married to an actor who played the Doctor. She portrayed the short-lived companion Sara Kingdom from December 1965 to January 1966 in the William Hartnell serial "The Daleks Master Plan". Prior to the series creation, she was married to Jon Pertwee from 1955 to 1960, who later played the Third Doctor on the series.
She played two different versions of Morgan Le Fay, the half-sister of King Arthur, in 1989: Morgana in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court and Morgaine in "Doctor Who" {Battlefield: Part One (#26.1)} .
Along with Harold Innocent and Terence de Marney , she is one of only three actors to appear in both "Doctor Who" and "The Twilight Zone" .
She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2012 Queens Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.
Suffered a stroke and minor heart attack in 2011, causing her to miss much of the second series of the revival of "Upstairs Downstairs" .
Her father was an outdoor maintenance man and printers assistant. Her mother was a bar employee and dresser for the theatre.
Daughter of Henry Charles John Marsh and Emmeline Susannah Nightingale Poppy Bexley.
Sister of Yvonne Marsh.
[on "Downton Abbey" (2010) ] I think we were all surprised. The,new Upstairs, Downstairs had been in the works for about three years.
We were trying to sort out. . . 40 years of rights and then it also,started - Downton Abbey - in the Edwardian era, which Upstairs,Downstairs did. So it might be a coincidence and I might be the queen,of Belgium.
[asked if she owns a piece of "Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971) ] I,get a residual for the idea as much as I get a residual for the acting.
