Jill Gascoine, the English actress who played Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in Brit series The Gentle Touch, has died at the age of 83.
The actresses’ son confirmed the news on Facebook in a post where he said she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for 10 years. “Today was a thankful release,” he wrote, “The family is all well, and relieved that she’s not suffering any more.”
Gascoine is survived by two sons and her husband, the actor Alfred Molina, whom she married in 1986.
The actress played the role of Detective Inspector Forbes for 56 episodes of The Gentle Touch in the early 1980s, it was the first Brit TV drama to center on a female police officer. She reprised the part for spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes in 1985-87.
Her TV work also saw roles in shows including Z-Cars, General Hospital, Home To Roost, and, after relocating to Los Angeles, the American series Northern Exposure and Touched By An Angel. On the movie side, she appeared in King Of The Wind opposite Richard Harris and Glenda Jackson, and the comedy BASEketball.
Her son added that there would not be a memorial held for “a good while” due to the current pandemic but that services would be arranged in London and Los Angeles for a later date.
“She was a wonderful human and a spirit of truth and absolute, unconditional love. There was no other. I am happy she’s moved on. Please raise a glass. Be kind and love deeply!” He wrote.