Jean Marsh, Iconic 'Upstairs, Downstairs' Creator and Emmy Winner, Dies at 90

Jean Marsh: The Heart Behind 'Upstairs, Downstairs'

Jean Marsh didn’t just act in the ground-breaking TV series Upstairs Downstairs—she helped invent it. Marsh, who died peacefully in her London home on April 13, 2025, at age 90, leaves behind a remarkable story that helped shape British television. Born in 1934 in London, Marsh started her acting journey with bit parts, but her curiosity about class, society, and storytelling set her apart early on. Together with Eileen Atkins, she imagined a series set in a grand Edwardian townhouse, but focused as much on the staff 'downstairs' as their wealthy employers upstairs. That idea changed the way we watched historical drama.

When Upstairs, Downstairs premiered in 1971, no one guessed it would become one of the most influential period dramas ever. For five seasons, Marsh played Rose Buck, the gentle yet resilient head maid—her performance so affecting it won her an Emmy in 1975. Audiences across generations connected with Rose, a character filled with quiet dignity and strength. Marsh’s knack for slipping into the hopes, fears, and grit of early 20th-century women made her unforgettable.

She revisited the role decades later, starring in the BBC revival from 2010 to 2012. Facing new scripts and new faces as the world changed, Marsh never lost her empathy or the twinkle in her eye that fans loved. Her involvement helped bridge the original’s loyal viewers with a new audience, proving the story’s staying power.

Beyond Rose Buck: Big Screen and Sci-Fi Adventures

Marsh wasn’t content with just one type of role. Her film credits spanned from grand Hollywood epics like Cleopatra (she played opposite Elizabeth Taylor, no less) to dark thrillers like Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy. Child of the eighties? You might remember her as the Nurse in Return to Oz or as Queen Bavmorda in Willow, bringing menace and depth to fantasy villains that could have been cartoonish in lesser hands. She infused all her characters with surprising gravity.

Sci-fi fans cherished Marsh’s appearances on Doctor Who. In the 1960s, she joined William Hartnell’s First Doctor as Sara Kingdom—a pioneering female companion. She later crossed paths with other versions of the Doctor, never losing her sharp wit or commanding presence. Her ties to the Who-verse even extended off-screen: Marsh was married to actor Jon Pertwee, known as the Third Doctor, from 1955 to 1960.

Her creative partnership with Eileen Atkins didn’t stop with Upstairs, Downstairs. In 1991, the pair collaborated again on The House of Eliott, another lavish drama focused on ambitious women forging new paths in post-WWI England. This instinct for characters pushing boundaries, both upstairs and down, was always central to Marsh’s work.

Tributes from across British entertainment poured in following her passing. Director Sir Michael Lindsay-Hogg called her "wise, funny, kind, and loved by everyone." Costars and producers recalled late-night script rewrites, constant encouragement, and a rare humility. For decades, she inspired others to see period drama not as dry museum pieces but as powerful, human stories worth telling again and again.