Jean Marsh's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Sense And Sensibility (UK) Mrs. Ferrars Upstairs, Downstairs (UK) Rose The All New Alexei Sayle Show (UK) Matron in '… No Strings (UK) Rosie Tindall

Main Movie Roles 2010 - The Heavy 1988 - Willow 1985 - Return to Oz 1980 - The Changeling 1976 - The Eagle Has Landed 1972 - Frenzy 1963 - Cleopatra

BIOGRAPHY:

Born in London on 1 July 1934, 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).


TRIVIA:

• A cabaret singer and photo model in her early years while studying acting and mime.
• Measurements: 36 1/2-26-37 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
• Along with 'Lalla Ward' (qv), she is one of two actresses to play a companion in _"Doctor Who" (1963)_ (qv) 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' (qv) serial "The Daleks' Master Plan". Prior to the series' creation, she was married to 'Jon Pertwee' (qv), who played the Third Doctor on the series, from 1955 to 1960.
• Co-created (with actress 'Eileen Atkins' (qv)), her most memorable series _"Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971)_ (qv) which ran from 1971 to 1975. The two actresses later co-created _"The House of Eliott" (1991)_ (qv) for BBC TV.
• Along with 'Harold Innocent' (qv), she is one of the only two actors to appear in both _"Doctor Who" (1963)_ (qv) and _"The Twilight Zone" (1959)_ (qv).
• She played two different versions of Morgan Le Fay, the half-sister of King Arthur, in 1989: Morgana in _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1989) (TV)_ (qv) and Morgaine in _"Doctor Who" (1963) {Battlefield: Part 1 (#26.1)}_ (qv).
• Voted for best actress for Battlefield by Readers of Doctor Who Magazine.