Was Jean Marsh married to Jon Pertwee? Doctor Who actress’s relationships explored as she dies at 90

Actress Jean Marsh, who fascinated audiences with her performances, passed away on Sunday, as reported by The New York Times. According to the publication, the legendary actress, who was once married to fellow actor John Pertwee, was suffering from the complications of dementia, as said in a statement by filmmaker Michael Lindsay-Hogg. A part of the statement, obtained by The Standard, read:

"Jean died peacefully in bed looked after by one of her very loving carers. 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.”

Jean Marsh was a prolific actor who was known for her unforgettable performances on screen. Apart from acting, she, along with Eileen Aitkeens, was known for creating the hit television show "Upstairs, Downstairs," where she played the role of Rose Buck. This role would earn her the 1975 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her other appearances include "Willow," "Frenzy," "Cleopatra," "The Twilight Zone," "The Ghost Hunter," and "The Eagle Has Landed," among others.

More about Jean Marsh's life and relationships, as actress passes away

Jean Lyndsey Torren Marsh was born on 1 July 1937 to parents Henry and Emmeline Marsh in Stoke Newington, London. She attended the Aida Foster Stage School, where she developed her love for the stage and screen.

The "Saint" actress met her future husband, Jon Pertwee, the future "Doctor Who," on the sets of the 1953 "Will Any Gentleman?," where she had a minor role as a backup dancer. The couple, who had a fifteen-year age difference, married in 1955, just two years after meeting, when Marsh was just eighteen years old. The former couple were married for five years before divorcing in 1960.

In an interview, Marsh recalled her marriage to Jon Pertwee, saying:

"I was married very young, but it didn’t work out."

After her divorce, Jean Marsh moved to the US, where she appeared in several Broadway productions, before returning to the UK, where, in 1965, she was cast as Joanna in an episode of "Doctor Who" opposite William Hartnell, the first Doctor. This would soon lead to her second appearance in the beloved franchise, as Sara Kingdom, an intergalactic spy and companion to the Doctor. Her third and final "Doctor Who" appearance happened in 1989, when she was cast as Morgaine, the evil queen and sorceress from another dimension, who battles the seventh Doctor.

After her divorce from Pertwee, Jean Marsh never married but was in high-profile relationships with fellow actors Albert Finney and Kenneth Haig and a ten-year relationship with Lindsay-Hogg. She continued to remain friends with Lindsay-Hogg up till her death.

In a 2010 interview with The Telegraph, Jean Marsh revealed that she was still on the lookout for love and companionship. In the interview, she said,

"I was going down memory lane recently and thinking about my mother. I finally realised she was right when she told me 50 years ago that I needed to marry and settle down."

She further added:

"I've had such a nice life that I just felt that I wanted to share it with somebody. I think about it when I am cooking. I always make enough for two people and you think, “wouldn’t it be nice to give some of this chicken to someone”

Jean Marsh was ninety years old at the time of her death. The news of her passing has shocked fans all over the world, many of whom have taken to social media to pay tribute to the iconic actress and writer.