Carolyn Seymour

Carolyn Seymour
Born	Carolyn von Benckendorf (1947-10-01) 1 October 1947 (age 77)^[citation needed][1] Aylesbury,^[citation needed] Buckinghamshire, England
Occupations	Actress voice actress theatre actress
Years active	1969–present
Spouse	Peter Medak ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1984)​
Children	2

External image
Carolyn Seymour, 1972

Carolyn Seymour is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Abby Grant in the BBC series Survivors (1975) and Queen Myrrah in the Gears of War franchise.

Career

She was born Carolyn von Benckendorf in Buckinghamshire to an Estonian[2] father of Russian descent and an Irish mother. One of her early television roles was as Jenny in the BBC drama series Take Three Girls, and an early film appearance was as Zita in the film Steptoe and Son (1972) alongside Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell.[3][4] Her best-known movie role remains Grace Gurney in The Ruling Class (1972), opposite Peter O'Toole.^[citation needed][5][6]

She left Survivors at the end of its first series due to disagreements with the producers over the direction the show and her character were taking.[7][8] She appeared in the Space: 1999 episode "The Seance Spectre", and with Joan Collins in The Bitch (1979).[9][10] She then moved to the United States and made numerous appearances on television shows, including Hart to Hart; Modesty Blaise; Family Ties; Cagney & Lacey; Remington Steele; Magnum, P.I.; The Twilight Zone; Murder, She Wrote; Matlock; Quantum Leap; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Civil Wars; L.A. Law; Red Shoe Diaries; Star Trek: Voyager; and ER.[11][12]

She has contributed voice work for several Star Wars video games, portraying characters such as Shmi Skywalker and Mon Mothma. She provides the voice for the Locust Queen Myrrah in Gears of War, Dr. Karin Chakwas in the Mass Effect series and the Elder God of Water in Mortal Kombat Annihilation. She has played in audio plays by L.A. Theatre Works and Hollywood Theater of the Ear as well as narrated audiobooks.[13][14][15]

In 2014, she reprised the role of Abby Grant in Big Finish Productions' Survivors series, based on the book by Terry Nation and the television series.^[citation needed][16] She has played various roles for the company, and in April 2021, it released a career retrospective interview with her titled Carolyn Seymour in Conversation.[17]

Since 2014, she has voiced Bierce in Dark Deception.[18]

Personal life

Seymour married director Peter Medak in 1973.[19] The couple had two children and divorced in 1984.[20]

Since 2011, she has lived in Chalais, France.^[citation needed]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	Unman, Wittering and Zigo	Silvia Ebony
	Gumshoe	Alison
1972	Steptoe and Son	Zita Steptoe
	The Ruling Class	Grace Shelley
1973	Yellow Dog	Della
1977	The Assignment	Danica Rodriguez
1978	The Odd Job	Angie
1979	The Bitch	Polly Logan
1980	Bad Timing	Lisa Dietrich
1981	Zorro, The Gay Blade	Dolores
1983	Mr. Mom	Eve
1990	Midnight Cabaret	Orion
1995	Congo	Eleanor Romy
1997	Mortal Kombat Annihilation	Elder God #2
2001	Ablaze	Vivian Sims
2003	I Witness	Lady Anne
2007	Hard Four	Maxine De Winter
2008	Dark Streets	Gloria
	The Moon and He	Leila	Short
2010	The Favour of Your Company	Pamela Wilde	Short

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	Take Three Girls	Jenny	Main role
1971–1973	ITV Sunday Night Theatre	Connie Bell, Vicky	2 episodes
1972	ITV Playhouse	Angela Harrison	Episode: "The Greeks and Their Gifts"
1974	Justice	Joy Mostyn	Episode: "Matrimonial Malice"
1975	The Prodigal Daughter	Christine Smith	TV film
	Edward the Seventh	"Daisy," Lady Brooke/Lady Warwick	Episodes 9, "Scandal," and 10, "The Years of Waiting"
	Survivors	Abby Grant	Main role (series 1)
1977	Space: 1999	Eva	Episode: "The Séance Spectre"
1978	Return of the Saint	Lady Greer Stevens	Episode: "The Arrangement"
1979	Hazell	Caroline Bancroft	Episode: "Hazell Gets the Bird"
1981	Mistress of Paradise	Adele	TV film
1982	Hart to Hart	Celeste Dumont	Episode: "Vintage Harts"
	The Devlin Connection	Elspeth	Episode: "Love, Sin and Death at Point Dume"
	Modesty Blaise	Debbie DeFarge	TV film
1983	The Greatest American Hero	Kris Peterson	Episode: "Heaven Is in Your Genes"
	The Last Ninja	Lydia	TV film
	Family Ties	Lorraine Ferrar	Episode: "Sweet Lorraine"
	Girls of the White Orchid	Madame Mori	TV film; alternative title Death Ride to Osaka
1983–1984	Cagney & Lacey	Renata Myers, Marie-Chantal	2 episodes
1984	Remington Steele	Shelby Haines	Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Steel"
	Blue Thunder	Helen	Episode: "The Island"
1984–1985	Magnum, P.I.	Elizabeth, Lady Ashley, Leeann	2 episodes
1985	Otherworld	Prime Manager	Episode: "Princess Metra"
	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Carla Dean	Episode: "Wake Me When I'm Dead"
	The Twilight Zone	Megaera	Episode: "Ye Gods"
1985–1986	Tales from the Darkside	Aisha Candisha, Andrea Caldwell	2 episodes
1986–1989	Matlock	Christina Harrison Ward, Vanessa Sedgwick, Iris Vogel	3 episodes
1986	Adam's Apple	D.A. Trisha Hammond	TV film
1987	Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story	Dorothy Difrasso	TV film
1987–1995	Murder, She Wrote	Pauline Constable, Alice Montrose, Nellie Ruddy	3 episodes
1988	CBS Summer Playhouse	Celia	Episode: "Old Money"
1989	Living Dolls	Mrs. Tate	Episode: "Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner"
1989–1993	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Subcommander Taris, Mirasta Yale, Commander Toreth	3 episodes: "Contagion", "First Contact", "Face of the Enemy"
	Quantum Leap	Priscilla Stoltz, Zoey	4 episodes
1990	Blue Bayou	Raleigh McMain	TV film
	Father Dowling Mysteries	Nurse Eunice	Episode: "The Medical Mystery"
1991	The Flash	Jocelyn Weller	Episode: "Done with Mirrors"
	Over My Dead Body	Diane Beckett	Episode: "An Actor Prepares"
	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Mirasta Yale	Episode: "First Contact"
1992	Civil Wars	Bettina Peck-Naughton	Episode: "Tape Fear"
	Dark Justice	Michelle	Episode: "Needy Things"
1993	The Legend of Prince Valiant	Moira	Voice, episode: "The Princess Aleta"
	Jack's Place	Maggie	Episode: "Forever and Ever"
	Class of '96	Anna Horvath	Episode: "Parents Weekend"
1994	L.A. Law	Vivian Askoff	2 episodes
	Rebel Highway	Mrs. Evelyn Turnbull	Episode: "Reform School Girl"
1995	Silk Stalkings	Sarah Rowan	Episode: "Friendly Persuasion"
	Star Trek: Voyager	Mrs. Templeton	2 episodes
1996	The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest	Sarah	Voice, episode: "The Spectre of the Pine Barrens"
1997	Babylon 5	Sen. Crosby	Episode: "Endgame"
1998	Superman: The Animated Series	Kala In-Ze	Voice, episode: "Little Girl Lost"
2001	ER	Dr. Skoft	Episode: "The Longer You Stay"
2002	Still Standing	Beverly Gerber	Episode: "Still Scalping"
2004	Judging Amy	Atty. Marla Rosen	Episode: "My Little Runaway"
2005	Malcolm in the Middle	Nina	Episode: "Mrs. Tri-County"
2007	The Replacements	Agent B	Voice, episode: "London Calling"

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace	Concerned Mother, Shmi Skywalker, TC-14	[21]
	Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned	Estelle Stiles	[21]
	Revenant	Heather, Townswomen	[21]
	Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine	Babylonian Holy Woman	[21]
	Star Wars: Jar Jar's Journey Adventure Book	Shmi Skywalker, Jellyfish	[21]
2000	Star Wars: Force Commander	AT-AT Barge Pilot, ATC-Frigate, Heavy Lifter Pilot
2001	Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds	Empire Destroyer Captain, Gungan Medic, Starbomer Pilot
2002	Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast	Mon Mothma	[21]
	Summoner 2	Dama Sivora
2003	Armed and Dangerous	Peasant Woman 1
	Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords	Administrator Terena Adare, Iziz Citizen, Republic Captain
2004	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	Admiral Forn Dodonna, Helena Shan, Elora
2005	Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None	Emily Brent, Ethel Rogers	[21]
2006	Star Wars: Empire at War	Mon Mothma	[21]
	Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express	Princess Dragomiroff	[21]
	Gears of War	Queen Myrrah
2007	Mass Effect	Dr. Karin Chakwas
2008	Gears of War 2	Queen Myrrah	[21]
2009	Dragon Age: Origins	Keeper Marethari, Sister Theohild, Grand Cleric Elemena, Sister Augustine, Edwina, Agatha, Redcliffe Old Woman, Circle Tower Mage
2010	Mass Effect 2	Dr. Karin Chakwas
2011	Gears of War 3	Queen Myrrah	[21]
2012	Mass Effect 3	Dr. Karin Chakwas, Teresa
2013	Gears of War: Judgment	Queen Myrrah
2018	Dark Deception	Helen Bierce
2019	Gears 5	Queen Myrrah	[21]
2020	Dark Deception: Monsters and Mortals	Helen Bierce

References

1. "Carolyn Seymour". IMDb.
2. Seymour, Carolyn (April 2021). "Carolyn Seymour in conversation" (Interview). Interviewed by Toby Hadoke. Big Finish Productions.
3. "Take Three Girls: The Company of Madmen". BBC Genome Project. 21 April 1971. p. 39.
4. "Carolyn Seymour". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019.
5. "The Ruling Class (1973)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
6. Elley, Derek (2 November 2001). "The Ruling Class".
7. "BFI Screenonline: Survivors (1975-77)". BFI Screenonline.
8. "Big Finish – Survivors – Cast – Series one – Carolyn Seymour – Abby Grant – Survivors: A World Away". survivors-mad-dog.org.uk.
9. "Space: 1999 | TV Guide". TV Guide.
10. "The Bitch (1979)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018.
11. "Carolyn Seymour | TV Guide". TV Guide.
12. "Carolyn Seymour". aveleyman.com.
13. "Audio Drama: The L.A. Theatre Works Collection". Alexander Street.
14. "Jo Hole Associates (JHA)". joholeassociates.com.
15. "WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë Read by Carolyn Seymour | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine.
16. "Survivors 5 – A Critics' Cracker! – News – Big Finish". bigfinish.com.
17. "Seymour the Survivor! – News – Big Finish".
18. "Dark Deception Dev Talks Pac-Man Inspirations, Release Date & More". Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
19. Medak, Peter (30 October 2001). The Ruling Class (DVD commentary). Criterion Collection.
20. Peter Medak profile, FilmReference.com; accessed 3 March 2015.
21. "Carolyn Seymour – 25 Character Images | Behind The Voice Actors". behindthevoiceactors.com. Retrieved 5 February 2020. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources.

External links

• Carolyn Seymour at IMDb 
• Carolyn Seymour at the Internet Broadway Database
• Interview with Carolyn Seymour (Abby Grant) for Survivors (1975 TV series)