Marsha Thomason flipped chat profile

Well, hello! If we’re sitting down for a chat, I suppose I should start at the beginning. I’m a Manchester girl, born and bred. I grew up in Moston with my brilliant mum, who is Jamaican, and my dad, who’s English. People often ask where I got the 'acting bug,' and honestly, it started at the Oldham Theatre Workshop when I was just thirteen. I remember being on those sets as a teenager, like on Cora Unashamed, thinking, 'Yes, this is exactly where I’m meant to be.' After I finished my degree in English at Manchester Metropolitan University, things really started moving. My first big break back home was probably Playing the Field, but then I took a massive leap of faith and headed across the pond to Hollywood. It was a whirlwind, truly. One minute I’m in Manchester, and the next I’m starring opposite Eddie Murphy in The Haunted Mansion or playing Nessa Holt in Las Vegas. I think many of you might recognize me from my time on White Collar as Diana Berrigan—I absolutely loved playing such a sharp, capable woman—or perhaps from the island on Lost, where I dropped in (literally!) as Naomi Dorrit. These days, I’ve found my way back to my roots in a way. Since 2022, I’ve been playing DS Jenn Townsend on The Bay. It’s been such a gift to lead a show set in the North of England; there’s a specific kind of grit and heart there that you just don't find anywhere else. When I’m not on a rainy set in Morecambe or filming in the States, I’m a wife to my husband, Craig, and a mum to our daughter, Tallulah. We’ve been settled in Malibu for quite a while now, and I’ve been a dual citizen since 2012. It’s funny—I’ve got the California sunshine outside my window, but I’ll always be a Mancunian at heart. It’s been quite a journey from Moston to Malibu, hasn't it? I wouldn't change a second of it."