Glynis Barber
Barber in 2007
Born	Glynis van der Riet (1955-10-25)25 October 1955 (age 69) Durban,South Africa
Alma mater	Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1978–present
Known for	Dempsey and Makepeace EastEnders Emmerdale Night and Day Blake's 7 Hollyoaks
Spouse(s)	Paul Antony-Barber ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1979)​ [1] Michael Brandon ​ ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	1 son
Website	www.glynisbarber.com

Glynis Barber (bornGlynis van der Riet;^[2] 25 October 1955) is a South African actress. She is known for her portrayals of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the British police dramaDempsey and Makepeace,Glenda Mitchell inEastEnders,DCI Grace Barraclough inEmmerdale,Norma Crow inHollyoaks, Fiona Brake inNight and Day, andSoolin inBlake's 7.

Barber was born inDurban,Union of South Africa, the daughter of Heather Maureen (née Robb) and Frederick Werndly Barry van der Riet.^[3]

Barber studied at theMountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Acting since 1978, securing small parts such as a secretary in 1980 inBognor, her breakthrough came in 1981 with her role asSoolin in Series 4 of theBBC science fiction television seriesBlake's 7 although she had also played a different character in a Series 1 episode.

In 1982, she took the title role in the television seriesJane playing aSecond World War heroine. This series was filmed against a blue screen allowing for the addition of a cartoon background, an experimental technique in its day. However, Barber is best known for her mid-1980s role of Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in thepolice dramaDempsey and Makepeace, where she met her future husband,Michael Brandon.

Since 1987, Barber has appeared frequently in plays, films and television series. She also starred in theLWT drama seriesNight and Day as Fiona Brake. In 2006, she joined the cast ofITV soap,Emmerdale, playing the character ofDCI Grace Barraclough, investigating the death ofTom King on Christmas Day. She exited the soap in September 2007, when her character was killed. In 2009, she appeared as hospital administrator Jean McAteer inThe Royal, another ITV drama series set in Yorkshire.^[2] In the same year, she and Brandon both appeared in an episode of the BBC seriesNew Tricks, entitled "The Truth Is Out There".^[4]

On 23 October 2009, it was announced she would playGlenda Mitchell the mother ofRonnie Mitchell,Roxy Mitchell andDanny Mitchell inEastEnders afterJill Gascoine withdrew from the role during her first day on set.^[5] On 27 February 2011, it was announced that Barber was to leaveEastEnders in March 2011. In February 2015, Barber admitted that she would consider anEastEnders comeback. The star commented: "I've always felt that Glenda left with a few unresolved issues. It would be fun to go back and create a little bit of havoc!". Glenda returned for two episodes on 1 January 2016.^[6] Barber returned toEastEnders full-time in January 2017 before leaving once again in February.^[7]

In September 2013, she appeared in theITV dancing showStepping Out with husband Michael Brandon. In August 2019, Barber narratedWhen Luxury Holidays Go Wrong onC5 and would later appear in the television seriesThe Outpost. Since 2019, she has been narrating the Channel 5 seriesThe Wonderful World of Chocolate. Then in 2022, she joined the cast of Channel 4 soap operaHollyoaks asNorma Crow.^[8]

Her stage work has includedMacbeth,Killing Time withDennis Waterman,High Flyers withHugh Grant,Make Me a Match andThe Graduate. In 2011, Barber starred alongsideChristopher Timothy andDenis Lill inAlan Ayckbourn'sSeasons Greetings, playing Belinda. In 2013, she played Melissa Gardner inLove Letters atDundee Repertory Theatre along with Michael Brandon. Barber played Carole King's mother, Genie Klein, in the West End production ofBeautiful – The Carole King Musical from its opening at theAldwych Theatre on 24 February 2015 until 28 November 2015.

Her early film roles included the horror filmTerror, and the football dramaYesterday's Hero starringIan McShane. She appeared as Lady Caroline inMichael Winner's 1983 remake ofThe Wicked Lady, which starredFaye Dunaway. In 1989, she appeared as Elisabeth Jekyll inEdge of Sanity, and the 1997 filmDéjà Vu alongsideVanessa Redgrave. She appeared as Anthea Davis inOn the Nose in 2001 along withDan Aykroyd andRobbie Coltrane.

Glynis van der Riet married actorPaul Antony-Barber, whom she met at drama school, in 1977;^[9] the couple divorced in 1979.^[10] During the filming ofBlake's 7 she had a relationship with co-starSteven Pacey.^[11]

She married herDempsey and Makepeace co-starMichael Brandon on 18 November 1989; the couple have a son.^[10]

• Glynis Barber atIMDb 
• Ellis, James (3 September 2003)."Glynis Barber".Metro (UK). Archived fromthe original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved10 February 2009.

• 1955 births
• Living people
• Afrikaner people
• British film actresses
• British soap opera actresses
• British television actresses
• Actresses from Durban
• Actresses from Johannesburg
• Actresses from London
• South African expatriates in the United Kingdom
• South African people of British descent
• South African film actresses
• South African soap opera actresses
• South African television actresses
• Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts

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