The daughter of a Cockney hotelier father and an Irish mother, Maureen was educated at Upton Hall and a Covent in Cheshire. She started her acting career in Manchester Repertory in 1938 and studied her craft with Michel Saint-Denis at the London Theatre Studio from 1939-1940. Her first West End appearance was in a production of Sean O'Casey's "Red Roses for Me" at the New Theatre, which was followed by other West End shows including Noël Coward's "Peace In Our Time", John Bowen's "After the Rain" and "Little Boxes". In addition, she acted in "Play with a Tiger" and was a member of the Stables Theatre Company. Throughout her career, she appeared in many films and made over 500 television appearances. Maureen was married twice, the first of which ended in divorce and the second of which ended in separation. She had a son, Mark.