Glynis Barber

Glynis Barber, born Glynis van der Riet on October 25, 1955, in Durban, South Africa, commenced her acting career after studying at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Her early career in the late 1970s and early 1980s included small television parts, such as a secretary in ‘Bognor’ in 1980, before her significant breakthrough in 1981 as Soolin in Series 4 of the BBC science fiction series ‘Blake’s 7’. She also took on the title role in the experimental 1982 television series ‘Jane’, known for its innovative blue screen technique. Barber gained widespread recognition for her role as Sgt. Harriet Makepeace in the mid-1980s police drama ‘Dempsey and Makepeace’, where she met her future husband, Michael Brandon.

Throughout her career, Barber has demonstrated versatility across various mediums. Following ‘Dempsey and Makepeace’, she continued to appear in numerous plays, films, and television series, including the LWT drama ‘Night and Day’ and critical roles in British soap operas. In 2006, she joined the cast of ITV’s ‘Emmerdale’ as DCI Grace Barraclough, a role she held until her character’s exit in 2007. Later, in 2009, she appeared as Jean McAteer in ‘The Royal’ and made a notable return to the BBC series ‘EastEnders’ in 2010 as Glenda Mitchell, a role she revisited multiple times until 2017. Her theatre work includes performances in ‘Macbeth’, ‘Season’s Greetings’, and playing Genie Klein in the West End production of ‘Beautiful – The Carole King Musical’ from 2015.

More recently, Barber has continued her consistent presence in television. She narrated ‘When Luxury Holidays Go Wrong’ for Channel 5 in 2019 and appeared in ‘The Outpost’ from 2019 to 2020. In 2022, she joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera ‘Hollyoaks’ as Norma Crow, a series regular. Her filmography also includes roles in ‘Point Break’ (2015) as FBI Head of Investigations and ‘Dream Hacker’ (2025), currently in post-production. Beyond acting, Barber has developed her wellness brand, Ageless by Glynis Barber, and contributes to publications like HELLO!’s Beauty Collective, sharing her expertise in health and beauty.