Glynis Barber was born on October 25, 1955 in South Africa. Her maiden name is وین der Reit. Originating from a middle-class Johannesburg background, she later joined the Progressive Party, a moderate anti-apartheid party. In her late teens she moved to England to attend the Mountview theatre school. After graduating Glynis Barber worked in repertory theatre and had little parts in films and on TV as well. Her marriage to a fellow student, Paul Anthony Barber, only lasted for a few years. Her mother died about the same time and her death had a big impact on her whole life, as she later said.

Glynis Barber's big break on TV was in the role of Soolin in the fourth season (1980-1981) of the British cult TV-series Blake's 7. In 1978 she had already appeared on Blake's 7 as a Mutoid in the 9th episode Project Avalon. Her relationship with Steven Pacey, who played Del Tarrant on Blake's 7, lasted for some years after the دکھائیں had ended. But according to various مضامین the relationship was well and truly over when her romance with Michael Brandon began during the filming of Dempsey and Makepeace. Dempsey and Makepeace, in which Glynis Barber played the role of Det. Sgt. Harriet Makepeace, lasted for three seasons from 1985 to 1986 and was sold to over 80 countries.

Apparently her relationship with Michael Brandon had some rocky moments, but finally the two married on November 18, 1989. In 1990 they moved to the United States where their son Alexander was born on November 21, 1992. Then they moved back to the UK in 1996. Glynis Barber is a vegeterian. She likes reading and tennis, yoga and going to the theatre.

Since 1987, Barber has appeared frequently in plays, films and ویژن ٹیلی series. Her stage work has included Macbeth, Killing Time with Dennis Waterman, High Flyers with Hugh Grant and Make Me A Match and The Graduate. She also starred in the LWT drama series Night and دن as Fiona Brake.

In 2006 she joined the cast of ITV soap, Emmerdale, playing the character of DCI Grace Barraclough, investigating the death of Tom King on Christmas Day. She exited the soap in September 2007, when her character was killed.