Inside life of actress Sarah Parish from famous actor husband to heartbreaking loss

Sarah Parish, a familiar face in popular dramas and comedies, is set to star in the latest episode of DNA Journey on ITV. The 56 year old actress will embark on a mission to uncover her family history alongside friend and fellow actor James Nesbitt.

As she delves into her ancestral past, let's take a look at what there is to know about Parish's life both in and out of the spotlight. Born in June 1968 to parents Bill and Thelma in Yeovil, Somerset, Parish discovered her love for acting while at Yeovil College and later trained at the Academy Of Live And Recorded Arts in London.

Her first big break came in 1994 when she appeared in a Boddingtons Bitter Beer advert. Fast forward to 2024, and Parish has starred in numerous well-known shows and films like Stay Close, The Wedding Date, Industry, The Holiday, W1A, Trollied, Mistresses and Broadchurch, to name just a few.

Two of her latest projects include the Paramount+ crime drama Curfew and the ITV comedy Piglets.

READ NEXT:Birmingham Updates founder jailed as campaign of gaslighting, control and 'web of lies' uncovered

Stay up to date with the very latest from your Birmingham or West Midlands street or neighbourhood with our Birmingham News Email Updates

Actress Sarah Parish is married to actor James Murray, notable for his roles in renowned productions like 'Lee' with Kate Winslet, 'Masters Of The Air', 'McDonald and Dodds', 'Primeval', 'Chaos', and 'Defiance'. He's also familiar to many as Prince Andrew from 'The Crown' seasons five and six on Netflix, acting across from Imelda Staunton who portrays Queen Elizabeth II, reports the Mirror.

The celebrity couple first crossed paths at a gathering, later collaborating on the BBC drama 'Cutting It'. Sarah Parish shared with The Guardian in 2019 that initially mutual attraction wasn't on the cards, revealing: "I didn't like him much when I first met him and I don't think he liked me but we shared the same taste in music and literature and got on really well as mates, so it started the right way."

It was after the conclusion of 'Cutting It' that she acknowledged her deeper sentiments towards him, stating she "really missed him".

Their relationship flourished into marriage, with the ceremony taking place in December 2007 in Hampshire.

Their union was soon followed by joyful news as Sarah and James were expecting their first child. They welcomed Ella-Jayne in May 2008, but the happiness was short-lived; the couple faced heartbreak when they lost Ella-Jayne at just eight months old due to a congenital heart defect.

To honour their daughter, in 2014, Sarah and James established the Murray Parish Trust, aimed at improving children's healthcare services, including mental health provisions, efforts that transcend what NHS funding can provide.

The Winchester-based couple shared their heartrending journey in an article for Mail Online in 2017. The mother described how, despite their child being extremely sick, they clung to hope: "Though she was very, very poorly, we never gave up hope, that longing for a miracle."

She went on to recount the poignant day of their loss: "The day she died she took a bottle for the first time; she held our gaze and smiled into our eyes. For Jim and I, it was very, very difficult. It left a huge hole in our lives."

She admitted their encounter with true sorrow: "I now know that losing a child is the hardest thing to happen to anyone; that we had never experienced tragedy before she died. We had never truly understood grief or loss."

In a turn towards light, the couple were blessed with another daughter, Nell, in November 2009, who will be celebrating her 15th birthday next month.