A towering talent whose quiet brilliance helped redefine modern television has passed away.

Her work challenged the status quo, broke barriers, and brought often-overlooked stories to life.

Fans and peers alike are reflecting on the unforgettable characters she portrayed—the groundbreaking series she helped create continues to echo today.



Jean Marsh, the Emmy-winning co-creator and star of Upstairs, Downstairs, died on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at her home in London.

She was 90. The cause of death was complications of dementia, according to director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, as reported by The New York Times.

Born in London in 1934, Marsh lived through the Blitz during World War II. She once said, "I remember thinking the bombing would never stop."

At five years old, she experienced sudden paralysis, diagnosed as mental paralysis. Her parents enrolled her in dancing school as therapy, which led to her lifelong love of performing.

By the age of sixteen, she had moved into acting. She paid for voice lessons to eliminate her Cockney accent, which she felt held her back in a class-conscious industry.

She often spoke about the lasting impact of growing up working-class in postwar Britain.

"I'm desperately shy in big groups," she said in a 1982 interview.

"When I meet people who are fairly grand, I'm not quite myself. It's because of the class system in England. I don't think it ever leaves you."

Marsh’s television career began in the 1950s. She appeared on both British and American shows, including The Twilight Zone, The Moon, and Sixpence—opposite Laurence Olivier and Geraldine Fitzgerald.

She made her Broadway debut in 1959 in Much Ado About Nothing. In 1972, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy.



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Her most enduring contribution came in 1971 when she co-created Upstairs, Downstairs with fellow actress Eileen Atkins.

Both women came from service-class backgrounds—Marsh’s mother had been a housemaid and Atkins’ father an under-butler.

"Our backgrounds were very 'downstairs,' and we always thought, 'Why don't people write about servants?'" Marsh told People in 1982.

Marsh played Rose Buck, a quiet, resilient parlormaid. Atkins was unable to appear due to stage commitments, but Marsh’s performance carried the show through five celebrated seasons.

The series became a hit in the UK and then found even broader success when it aired on PBS in 1974. It became the most popular series in Masterpiece Theatre history.


Though beloved by audiences, Marsh admitted she didn't feel connected to her character.

"Rose would have adored the family she served," she said in 1974. "They would have treated her like an animal, and she would have come back for more."

Still, she earned three Emmy nominations for her portrayal and won in 1975.

"It didn't give me a lot of money, but it gave me a lot of exposure," she said in 1982. "Although Rose had a sharp tongue, people felt for her and loved her. And once the public really likes you, they never stop."



In the 1980s, Marsh took on more diverse and villainous roles.

She played Roz Keith in the television series 9 to 5, the overbearing office manager.

"I don't like playing 100 percent goody-goodys," she said. "I think there are just as many evil and stupid women out there as men."

Her most iconic fantasy roles came in Return to Oz (1985) and Willow (1988). In the former, she played the evil Queen Bavmorda.

"It's wonderful to snort at pigs and to say [snorts] to people and that you're going to turn them into pigs," Marsh said in 2012.

She loved how children would run away from her on the street after seeing those films.



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She had a voice cameo in the 2022 Disney+ series that followed Willow.

In 1992, she and Atkins created The House of Eliott, a series about two sisters running a fashion business.

Marsh didn’t appear in the series but helped craft its premise and tone.

Her other roles included appearances in The Changeling, The Ghost Hunter, Sense and Sensibility (2008), and Crooked House (2008).

She reprised her role as Rose Buck in the 2010 revival of Upstairs, Downstairs, which ran for two seasons. She received a fourth Emmy nomination for the revival.



During the second season, Marsh appeared in only two scenes due to a stroke.

Despite her health setback, she insisted on returning to the role that had defined much of her career.

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her an Officer of the British Empire for her contributions to the arts.

She was recognized not only for her acting but for helping bring working-class stories into the spotlight.

From 1955 to 1960, she was married to Jon Pertwee, the actor best known for playing the Third Doctor in Doctor Who.

"The person he married was a little girl who just grew up and changed," she said in a 1974 interview.



She left behind no children but inspired generations of actors, writers, and creators.

Her work bridged genres—from period drama to fantasy—and connected with audiences across decades.

"Bright, witty, wonderfully cheeky and deliciously salty," said Rita Moreno, her 9 to 5 co-star. She brought both gravitas and charm to every character she played.

Marsh resented how often she was cast as someone from a higher class simply because of how she looked. "I was bored with playing upper-middle-class women," she said.

"And furious on behalf of my class that people cast me 'upstairs' because I have good bone structure. As if good bone structure was exclusive to upstairs people!"

She never stopped pushing back—against assumptions, expectations, and limits. Jean Marsh’s legacy is one of resilience, innovation, and unapologetic truth.

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Did you grow up watching Upstairs, Downstairs or remember seeing Jean Marsh in Willow or Return to Oz? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments—how did her performances impact you?