Born:
October 25, 1955
in
Durban, South Africa
Best Known For:
Being the glamorous one in Dempsey and Makepeace.
Early-life:
Born Glynis van der Reit on October 25, 1955, in Durban, South Africa. Aged five, following her parents' divorce, she moved to Johannesburg. Inspired by Hayley Mills' performance in The Parent Trap, she decided to become an actress. In her teens, she joined a speech and drama group and was so inspired by a tutor that she read Shakespeare's entire works in two weeks. Following her mother's death, she moved to London and studied at Mountview Theatre School. Glynis landed her first job at Chelmsford Rep.
Career:
In the late 1970s, Glynis appeared in TV projects such as Terror, Play of the Month and Yesterday's Hero. In the early 1980s, The Sandbaggers, A Fine Romance and Blake's 7 boosted her profile. She landed the role that made her name in 1985 - Sgt Harriet Makepeace in Anglo-American hit Dempsey and Makepeace. She has since featured in Tales of the Unexpected, Babes in the Wood, The Bill, Doctors, Night & Day, Family Affairs, Emmerdale and EastEnders. Stage work has included Once in a Lifetime, Hamlet, Macbeth, Killing Time and The Graduate. In August 2013, she teamed up with her husband, actor Michael Brandon, for ITV's dancing reality series Stepping Out.
Quote:
On obsessive fans: "I had a couple of mystery admirers at drama school. One actually asked the principal for my hand in marriage."
Trivia:
She met Michael Brandon on the set of Dempsey and Makepeace. They wed in 1989 and have a son, Alexander, born in 1992.