The eagerly awaited fifth season of The Bay is set to hit ITV tonight (March 2), with Marsha Thomason returning in her leading role as DS Jenn Townsend. Based in Morecambe, the latest instalment of the crime drama will see family liaison officer Jenn grappling with a death in her own family, while simultaneously tackling a murder case with a complicated past. But what do we know about Marsha Thomason’s life off-screen, and what other roles has she played? Marsha Thomason’s TV and film roles Marsha kicked off her career on British TV in 1997, playing a waitress named Sally in the police comedy drama Pie in the Sky. She had TV roles in Playing the Field and Where the Heart Is, before featuring in the BBC Three drama series Burn It.
Playing the Field was a 2000 drama that followed a women’s football team
(Image: BBC)
She then moved to her career the USA and into films, landing a significant role in Disney’s The Haunted Mansion in 2003, where Eddie Murphy starred as her husband. After a few minor movie roles, she was cast as the head pit boss in the comedy drama Las Vegas, remaining in the show for two seasons. The Bay isn’t Marsha’s first stint in a police-themed show. She was a regular in White Collar, an American police procedural television series, where she portrayed FBI agent Diana Berrigan from 2009 to 2014. Marsha starred in the third season of Lost and made a comeback in season five. Speaking with Digital Spy about her experience, she shared: “I loved Lost! I’ve known Dominic Monaghan for years and so I watched the show because he was on it, and I became a huge fan immediately, so I was really excited when I got the part.” The actress also opened up about how the cast were kept just as much in suspense as fans, adding: “We’re as in the dark as the audience, really maybe half a step ahead. We spend our whole time waxing about: ‘What’s that about? What does that mean?’ We don’t have a clue; we only know from episode to episode.”
Marsha joined The Bay in its third season
(Image: ITV STUDIOS)
In 2022, Marsha landed the lead role in ITV’s The Bay for its third season, following Morven Christie’s departure. There were rumours that Morven chose to leave the series, and this meant Marsha had the chance to bring a fresh dynamic to the show. Marsha Thomason’s life off-screen Born in Manchester’s Moston neighbourhood, Marsha studied English at Manchester Metropolitan University. She also honed her acting skills locally, appearing in youth productions at the Oldham Theatre Workshop.
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She’s been married to lighting technician Craig Sykes since 2009, after they tied the knot in Malibu, California. Speaking to the BBC, she said she spent time between the USA and UK: “I have a house in London and a place in LA and I’m bouncing between the two.” In 2012, she took to Instagram to announce she’d officially become an American citizen. And in June 2013, she announced the arrival of her baby girl. Season 5 of The Bay premieres tonight at 9pm on ITV1, or catch-up on ITVX.
