Jean Marsh, the acclaimed actor and writer best known for co-creating the iconic British series Upstairs, Downstairs, has died at the age of 90. Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a longtime friend and filmmaker, confirmed Marsh passed away on Sunday at her home in London due to complications from dementia. “Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers,” Lindsay-Hogg shared. “You could say we were very close for 60 years. She was as wise and funny as anyone I ever met, as well as being very pretty and kind, and talented as both an actress and writer. An instinctively empathetic person who was loved by everyone who met her. We spoke on the phone almost every day for the past 40 years.” Marsh became a household name through Upstairs, Downstairs, which explored the dynamics of class in Edwardian England. The series, which aired from 1971 to 1975, was a critical and international success, earning seven Emmys and a Peabody award. Marsh herself won an Emmy in 1975 for her role as Rose, the loyal head parlour maid in the aristocratic Bellamy household. In addition to her work on that landmark series, Marsh co-created The House of Eliott and built a distinguished film career with appearances in Cleopatra (1963), Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Changeling (1980), Return to Oz (1985), Willow (1988), Fatherland (1994), and Monarch (2000). Marsh also left her mark on the Doctor Who universe, initially appearing in The Crusade as Joan of England and later as Sara Kingdom, a companion of the First Doctor. She returned to the franchise years later, portraying a villain alongside the Seventh Doctor. Recognised for her contributions to drama, Marsh was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2012. Born Lyndsay Torren Marsh on 1 July 1934, she grew up during the Blitz and took an early interest in performance, starting ballet classes at age seven. Though her parents viewed theatre school as a practical choice, Marsh’s ambitions were rooted in a deeper passion for storytelling and performance. Reflecting on her working-class upbringing in a 1972 interview with The Guardian, Marsh remarked, “If you were very working class in those days, you weren’t going to think of a career in science. You either did a tap dance or you worked in Woolworths.” The idea for Upstairs, Downstairs came during a stay at a friend’s luxurious home in the south of France. While house-sitting with fellow actor and friend Eileen Atkins, Marsh mused about living in such luxury more often. That wish soon sparked a concept that would become one of Britain’s most celebrated television dramas. May her soul rest in peace.