Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh (1 July 1934 – 13 April 2025) was an English actress and writer. 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'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).

Filmography

• Willow — Queen Bavmorda
• Grantchester — Daisy Livingstone
• 2014Outlier — Lilith Winterbottom
• 2011The Last Post — Colette
• 2010The Heavy — Mrs. Mason
• Upstairs Downstairs — Mrs Rose Buck, Original Series Creator
• Crooked House — Lady Constance de Momery
• Sense and Sensibility — Mrs Ferrars
• Sensitive Skin — Lizzie Galbraith
• Julian Fellowes Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder — Violet Sidney
• 2000Monarch — The Queens
• The Ghost Hunter — Mrs Croker
• Holby City — Vera Engells
• 1997Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse — Thyrza Grey
• Kavanagh Q.C. — Lady Tibbit
• 1994Fatherland — Anna von Hagen
• The All New Alexei Sayle Show
• 1992Adam Bede — Lisbeth Bede
• 1991Bejewelled — Barbara
• The House of Eliott — Creator
• 1989A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court — Morgana
• 1989Danny the Champion of the World — Miss Hunter
• 1989Doctor Who: Battlefield — Morgaine
• No Strings — Rosie Tindall
• 1988Willow — Queen Bavmorda
• 1985Return to Oz — Nurse Wilson / Mombi
• 1985The Corsican Brothers — Mazzere
• 1984Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks — Sara Kingdom (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Master of the Game — Mrs. Talley
• Murder, She Wrote — Glenda Highsmith
• 1984Royal Variety Performance 1984
• Tales from the Darkside — Joan Matlin
• 9 to 5 — Roz Keith
• Goliath Awaits — Dr. Goldman
• 1981See China and Die — Sally Hackman
• 1980The Changeling — Joanna Russell
• Trapper John, M.D.
• The Love Boat — Celia Hoffman
• 1976The Eagle Has Landed — Joanna Grey
• 1974UFO: Radar contact... They're landing!
• 1973Dark Places — Victoria
• 1973The Persuaders! — Nicola
• 1972A Day in the Death of Joe Egg — Mother on moonrocket
• 1972Frenzy — Monica Barling
• The Waltons — Hilary von Kleist
• 1971Skin Deep — Madeleine Walsh
• The Persuaders! — Nicola
• The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes — Mrs. Vanrenen
• Upstairs, Downstairs — Rose Buck, self, Creator
• 1970Jane Eyre — Mrs. Rochester
• Play for Today — Madeleine Walsh
• UFO — Janna
• Department S — Agatha Pollen
• Hawaii Five-O — Sister Harmony
• 1969The Limbo Line
• 1968A Bit of Crucifixion, Father — Edna
• 1968Charlie Bubbles — Waitress (uncredited)
• The Expert — Sybil Houghton
• The Informer — Sylvia Parrish
• 1965Doctor Who: The Crusade — Joanna
• 1965Doctor Who: The Daleks' Master Plan — Sara Kingdom
• Gideon's Way — Sandra Casey, Elspeth McCrae
• Thirty-Minute Theatre — Alex
• Detective — Julie Oliver
• 1964Face of a Stranger — Grace
• Story Parade — Lorraine
• 1963Cleopatra — Octavia (uncredited)
• Doctor Who — Sara Kingdom, Morgaine, Joanna
• 1963Unearthly Stranger — Miss Ballard
• 1962Heart to Heart — Peggy Mann
• The Saint — Anne Kirby, Maria, Helen Phillips
• 1961The Horsemasters — Andrienne, Ingrid
• 1961The Rebel — Strange Woman at Party (Uncredited)
• 1961The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone — Party Guest (uncredited)
• Danger Man — Kim Russell
• 1959Back to Back — Caroline
• Edgar Wallace Mysteries — Grace
• 1959The Moon and Sixpence — Ata
• The Third Man — Helene
• The Twilight Zone — Alicia
• 1954The Love Lottery — Dancer in Sally's Dream (uncredited)
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Andrienne
• 1953The Limping Man — Landlady's Daughter
• Omnibus — Mimi in 'La Boheme'
• Hallmark Hall of Fame — Mazzere

Appearances as themselves (10)

• 2007The 50 Greatest Television Dramas — Self
• The One Show — Self - Guest
• The Paul O'Grady Show — Self
• 2002After Upstairs Downstairs — Self
• 1990Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! — Self (archive footage)
• 1988Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self