She was born
Carolyn von Benckendorf in
Buckinghamshire to an Estonian 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. Her best-known movie role remains Grace Gurney in
The Ruling Class (1972), opposite
Peter O'Toole. 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. She appeared in the
Space: 1999 episode "
The Seance Spectre", and with
Joan Collins in
The Bitch (1979). 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. She has contributed voice work for several
Star Wars video games, playing 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. 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. 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. Since 2014, she has voiced Bierce in
Dark Deception. ==Personal life==