Quick Facts
Biography
Sophie Stanton (born 1971 in London, England) is an English actress, director and playwright. She is best known for her role as DCI Jill Marsden in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in which she has appeared on and off since 2001.
Career
EastEnders
Born in London and raised in Suffolk from the age of three, first in Onehouse and then in Stowmarket from age nine Marsden first appeared on 5 March 2001, appearing for the storyline labelled 'Who Shot Phil?'. She left on 27 March 2001 In 2002, she appeared in January, April and then from 14 November to 6 December. Again, in 2003 Marsden made numerous returns, in March, July, August, November and for a longer stint in December.
In November 2009, it was reported that Stanton would be reprising her role as Jill. Marsden returned to investigate the murder of Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb). Speaking of her return, she said: 'It came completely out of the blue, and knocked me for six.' Continuing, she said, 'I really thought Marsden was no more. It was a really great surprise because I’d just finished a year’s run at the National Theatre, appearing in a new play called England People Very Nice – so it couldn’t have come at a better time.' She made her return on 28 December 2009. Marsden left on 22 February 2010. Marsden returned on 5 January 2012 and appeared until May 2012, with two further appearances in August 2012. It was reported again in July 2015 that Stanton would be reprising her role as Marsden for the Who Killed Lucy Beale? storyline.
Other work
Other television includes Rose in Dressing For Breakfast, Dilly in The Wilsons, Prime Suspect, Dangerous Lady, Wall of Silence, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Plastic Man, The Vice, Black Books, The Sculptress, Coupling, Midsomer Murders, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Fingersmith, Jekyll, Ashes to Ashes, Lewis, Silent Witness, Wallander, Outnumbered, My Mad Fat Diary Series 2 & 3, "A Touch of Frost", and The Smoke. She made a cameo appearance as regular character Bryony's nan in ITV2 sitcom The Job Lot.
Stanton's extensive theatre work includes Slaughter City (RSC), Love's Labour's Lost and Hindle Wakes (Manchester Royal Exchange), A Collier's Friday Night (Hampstead Theatre), Beautiful Thing (Bush/Donmar Warehouse), Top Girls (BAC), She Stoops To Conquer (Margate), Sleeping Around, Falstaff in Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse), Mercury Fur (Menier Chocolate Factory), Breezeblock Park (Liverpool Playhouse), Market Boy and England People Very Nice (National Theatre), The Knot of the Heart, Dying For It and Cloud Nine (Almeida), Ding Dong The Wicked (Royal Court), and Nut (The Shed/National Theatre), Falstaff in "Henry V" (St Ann's Warehouse, New York).
Her film credits include Girls Night, Closer, Beautiful Thing, Grow Your Own, Shadowlands, Milman in Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (2012) and How I Live Now (2013).
Her home county is Suffolk. In 1991 she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she won the Gold Medal.
Stanton both wrote and performed in the theatre play Cariad (Tristan Bates Theatre and Theatre Clwyd), and later directed Winged (Tristan Bates Theatre). Stanton also contributed the voice-over for Robbed, Raided, Reunited (BBC).
Sophie Stanton created the role of Beryl in Made in Dagenham: The Musical, currently playing in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre.