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Born in Kingsthorpe , Northampton, England, she made her stage debut in 1927, and for several years worked throughout the United Kingdom and achieved success playing comedic, often eccentric characters in London's West End. She made her first film appearance in 1934, and the numerous supporting roles of her career included several Carry On filmsThe Carry On films were a long-running series of British low-budget comedy films made at Pinewood Studios near Windsor. The series began with Carry On Sergeant in 1958, about a group of recruits on National Service, and was sufficiently successful that ot.

In the 1940s she appeared on-stage in an Agatha Christie play, Appointment with Death , which was seen by Christie who wrote to her "I hope one day you might play my dear Miss Marple".

She also appeared opposite Margaret RutherfordDame Margaret Rutherford ( May 11, 1892 May 22, 1972) was a British character actress who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest''. Born in L in the Marple film Murder, She Said (1961).

Her stage career included roles in Noel CowardSir Noel Peirce Coward (spelling his forename Noel with the diaeresis was an affectation of later life, and "Peirce" is the correct spelling) ( December 16, 1899 March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. Born at Tedd's Blithe SpiritBlithe Spirit (1941) is a comic play written by Noel Coward. The action of the play centres around socialite Charles Condomine being haunted by the ghost of his first wife Elvira following a seance, and Elvira's continued (and increasingly desperate) effo and Alan AyckbournAlan Ayckbourn (born April 12, 1939) is an English playwright. He is a popular and prolific playwright. Ayckbourn was born in London and wrote his first play at prep school when he was about 10. At Haileybury, he toured Europe and America with the school's Bedroom FarceThe term may refer to Bedroom farce a genre of comedy Bedroom Farce a comedy by Alan Ayckbourn., for which she won a Tony Award in 1977. In 1980 she appeared in yet another Agatha Christie production, as Mrs Rivington in Why Didn't They Ask Evans .

The BBC began filming the works of Agatha Christie in the early 1980s, and were conscious of the criticism that had been levelled at the most famous portrayal of Miss Marple given by Margaret Rutherford. Though admired, Rutherford's Marple bore little resemblance to the character as written, and the plots of the early Christie film versions varied sharply from the author's carefully constructed plotlines. In making a new series, the makers determined to remain faithful to the plotlines and locales of Christie's stories, and most importantly to represent Miss Marple as written. Hickson played the role in all 12 adaptations of the novels produced from 1984 to 1992, and received a BAFTA nomination and an OBE from the British Government. Queen Elizabeth II, said to be a fan of both Miss Marple, and of Hickson, bestowed the latter award.

Joan Hickson died in Colchester, England.