Much Loved Actress Jean Marsh has died aged 90

All at Clive Conway Productions are saddened to hear of the passing of Jean Marsh. Her agent confirmed that the actress had passed away on 13th April. She had appeared in many Mortimer Miscellanies for Clive Conway Productions.

The British star won an Emmy for her representation of the hard-bitten yet kind-hearted maid Rose Buck in the 1970s TV drama about the class system in Edwardian England.

In addition to her work in British productions, Marsh also had notable roles in Hollywood films such as Cleopatra, Willow and Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy. She also made appearances on television in the popular series Doctor Who.

Marsh, while house sitting in France with her friend, the actress Dame Eileen Atkins, came up with the idea for a period drama about the servants of a wealthy family. She later shared this idea with the New York Times.

The duo went on to create the series, which followed the lives of the Bellamy family and their servant staff.

The ITV show was a critical and commercial success, gaining a dedicated audience in the United States as well, where it aired on PBS.

Upstairs Downstairs is believed to have partly inspired the Downton Abbey series. It was later revived and reimagined by the BBC in 2010. Notably, Marsh became the only original cast member to return, reprising her role in five episodes.

Jean had to reduce her acting commitments after a stroke in 2011.

London-born Marsh was married to actor Jon Pertwee for five years, who later played Dr. Who. In 2012, she was awarded an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to drama.

She will be sadly missed within our community.