Meet The Boss, Reginald Marsh, 1926 – 2001
Reginald Marsh will perhaps be best remembered for his supporting roles as ‘The Boss’ in some of our best loved sitcoms.
Quick Bio
Born Reginald Albert Saltmarsh on 17th September 1926, Marsh grew up on the Sussex coast in the town of Worthing.
On leaving school Marsh worked in a bank. He married first wife actress Jenifer Coverdale in 1949 and they had two children. unfortunately the marriage ended in divorce. Marsh married again in 1960 to another actress this time Rosemary Murray. They had four children. He retired to the Isle Of Wight where he lived until his death in 2001 aged just 74.
Career
Reginald Marsh’s Father realised from an early age that his son as serious about acting and introduced him to a retired actress. She introduced Marsh to an agent whogot him his first role playing a juvenile in the play Eden End. Aged just 16 he continued to to work in rep.
In 1958 Marsh spent a brief spell working behind the scenes at Granada Television. During the 1960’s he appeared in a number of films and appeared on television in hit shows such as Dixon Of Dock Green, Z-Cars and The Persuaders. He appeared on and off as Bookmaker Dave Smith in Coronation Street between 1962 and 1976.
In 1964 Marsh produced his own play The Death is Announced (“A Murder Play”) . In it he plays Inspector Cullen, He played Inspector Cullen. Describing the play as a “comedy who-dun-it” and Marsh said that he wrote it “because he could never find a good ‘copper’ part for himself.
During the 1970’s Reginald Mash would continue to appear in many high profile TV shows including Bless This House. It would be his appearances in hit sitcoms as “the boss” that he will be best remembered. From 1975 he appeared in several episodes of hit BBC sitcom “The Good Life” as Jerry Leadbetter’s boss “Andrew”.
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In 1976, switching channels to ITV, he plays a similar role as Humphrey Pumphrey owner of a successful business and Mildred’s Brother-In-Law in the hit sitcom George and Mildred.
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His final such role was in 1981 when he played Terry’s boss “Sir Dennis Hodge” in the BBC sitcom “Terry and June”
During the remainder of the 1980’s and through the 1990’s Marsh popped up in a number of smaller roles including: Only When I Laugh, Home To Roost, Bergerac, Boon and Minder. One of his last TV roles was in an episode of Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson’s..in 1997.