Sophie Stanton is an English actress, director and playwright. She is best known for her role as DCI Jill Marsden in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders 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. 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. She also appeared in 1993 as a reporter trying to get pictures of Pat Butcher after she knocked down and killed a pedestrian while drink driving in her taxi cab
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 , A Touch of Frost, and The Smoke. She made a cameo appearance as regular character Bryony's nan in ITV2 sitcom The Job Lot, as Lyndsey in "Brexit: The Uncivil War" and later appeared in King Gary. Stanton's extensive theatre work includes Slaughter City, Love's Labour's Lost and Hindle Wakes, A Collier's Friday Night, Beautiful Thing, Top Girls, She Stoops To Conquer, Sleeping Around, Mercury Fur, Breezeblock Park, Market Boy and England People Very Nice, The Knot of the Heart, Dying For It and Cloud Nine, Ding Dong The Wicked, Nut, Falstaff in "Henry V", Caliban in "The Tempest", Joyce Hopkirk in "Ink", Jaques in "As You Like It" & Gremia in "The Taming of the Shrew". Mrs Rich in “The Fantastic Follies of Mrs Rich” "Sophie Stanton is a joy as Mrs Rich", "Stanton-a forthright comic joy throughout". Her film credits include Girls Night, Closer, Beautiful Thing, Grow Your Own, Shadowlands, Milman in Cheerful Weather for the Wedding and How I Live Now. 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, and later directed Winged. Stanton also contributed the voice-over for Robbed, Raided, Reunited. Sophie Stanton created the role of Leah in “Beautiful Thing” and Beryl in Made in Dagenham: The Musical.
