Caroline Blakiston

 

Caroline Blakiston: 

For someone who can lay claim to a named character in the Star Wars franchise - Mon Mothma in 'Return Of The Jedi' (1983) - as well as a royal flush of the classic cult TV adventure shows of the '60s - including 'The Saint', 'The Baron', 'The Champions', 'Department S' and no fewer than three episodes of 'The Avengers' - it's surprising that you might be forgiven for not immediately knowing the name of Caroline Blakiston.

In 'Return Of The Jedi' (1983) briefing on the attack on Endor.
In later films, and the upcoming TV spin-off 'Andor', the role of
Mon Mothma was taken over by Australian actress Genevieve O'Reilly.   

Amazingly assured and accomplished from an early age, she has commanded substantial roles since the very beginning of the '60s, including two of the biggest successes of that decade in 'Emergency Ward 10' and 'The Forsyte Saga'. Radiating upper-class style and authority, she excelled as professional and aristocratic characters. She is, in fact, related to several titled families, although by no means a snob, having been married to fellow character actor, the great Russell Hunter - who came to the profession via the Glasgow shipyards.     

In the enormously popular television melodrama
'The Forsyte Saga', here with John Phillips 

 
In the dramas and period melodramas of the '60s and '70s, she cuts an impressive swathe of lady magistrates, doctors, high-ranking civil servants and landed gentry. Spot her in 'Wives & Daughters', 'The Mallens', 'Charters & Caldicott' and 'Raffles'. She was a regular as a barrister in 'Crown Court', and can be seen in 'The Sweeney', 'Nanny' and many more. 

In the stylishly-shot 'Public Eye'

Caroline Blakiston's movie credits beyond 'Jedi' are surprisingly slim. She's in 'The Magic Christian' (1969) with Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr, and a couple of other biggish films like 'Yanks' (1979), 'Fourth Protocol (1987), and Woody Allen's 'Scoop' (2006), but it's more likely that you've spotted her on the small screen.  

As a programmed super agent in an episode of
'The Champions', entitled 'The Experiment

In an episode of 'The Saint' with Roger Moore

The '80s and '90s saw her  pop up in 'Shoestring', 'Chancer', 'Mulberry' and the counter-espionage drama 'Mr Palfrey Of Westminster' with Alec McCowan, in which she plays Palfrey's M-like boss, the Coordinator.  On the comedy front, she's in 'Murder Most Horrid' and the mill melodrama pastiche 'Brass'.    

As the mysterious Coordinator in the understated  
spy drama series, 'Mr Palfrey Of Westminster'

More recently there have been medical machinations of the 'Casualty', Holby City' and 'Doctors' variety, and some detective and period pieces such as 'Poirot', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Father Brown', and 'Poldark. All quite in order for the latter stages of a long and distinguished career stretching back to the early '60s.  

Caroline Blakiston-imdb