Caroline Georgiana BlakistonBurke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage 107th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 320 (born 13 February 1933) is an English actress. She is best known for her role in the British television comedy series Brass and to international audiences as Mon Mothma in the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi, and Aunt Agatha in Poldark.

Early life Blakiston was born in London, younger of two daughters of the archivist and author Hugh Noel Blakiston (1905–1984), OBE, and writer (Rachel) Georgiana (1903–1995), daughter of barrister Harold John Hastings Russell and Victoria Alberta Leveson-Gower, whose father was the statesman Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville. The Blakiston family originated in County Durham, and were related to the Blakiston baronets.Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage 107th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 320

Blakiston attended RADA, graduating in 1957."Student & graduate profiles: Caroline Blakiston". Rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2023.

Career In the 1960s, Blakiston appeared in three episodes of The Avengers as well a number of ITC productions such as The Saint, Department S and the 1969 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode "Never Trust a Ghost". In 1971, she appeared in John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday. She appeared to great acclaim as Marjorie Ferrar in the BBC Television adaptation of Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga in 1967. Blakiston played Cynthia Muldoon in the 1968 premiere of Tom Stoppard’s play The Real Inspector Hound. In 1977, she appeared in Raffles as Lady Paulton, and also in Murder Most English as Helen Carobleat. In 1978, she appeared as Kathleen Fenton in the Crown Court episode "Association". In 1980–1981, she starred in the BBC/Australian TV World War II comedy series Private Schulz as The Countess.

In 1983, Blakiston played the wayward character of Lady Patience Hardacre in the satirical Granada television series Brass, which ran for three series. She portrayed Mon Mothma, the primary political leader of the Rebel Alliance in the 1983 Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi. The 1980s saw Blakiston in a lead role as head of a special unit within British intelligence, opposite Alec McCowen in Mr. Palfrey of Westminster.

In 1986, Blakiston played the glamorous adventuress Bess Sedgwick opposite Joan Hickson's Miss Marple, in the episode "At Bertram's Hotel" of the BBC's Miss Marple series. She also appeared as Lionel Hardcastle's ex-wife in an episode of As Time Goes By. She and Geoffrey Palmer (Lionel) had previously played estranged spouses a decade earlier in Carla Lane's series The Last Song. From 2015 to 2018, Blakiston played Aunt Agatha in the BBC adaptation Poldark.

Personal life In 1970, Blakiston married the actor Russell Hunter after they had played together in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park. They had a son and a daughter together, but later divorced.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes1966 The Idol Second Woman at Party The Trygon Factor White Nun 1969 The Magic Christian Honourable Esther Grand 1971 Sunday Bloody Sunday Rowing Wife1978 Saturday Sunday Monday Elena TV film Les Misérables Madame Thenardier TV film 1979 Yanks Golfing Friend 1983 Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi Mon Mothma1987 The Fourth Protocol Angela Berenson 1998 The Children of the New Forest Aunt Judith TV film 2003 The War of the Starfighters Operative Voice role2006 Coup! Margaret Thatcher TV film Scoop Mrs. Quincy 2008 The Commander: Abduction Mary Henson TV film 2011 For Elsie Mama Kilov Short 2013 Round and Round the Garden Woman Short 2018 Mary Anning Molly Anning Short 2019 The Leaving Party Joy Short

Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 The Avengers Elaine Bateman Episode: "Dance with Death" 1962 City Beneath the Sea Ann Boyd Series regular1963 No Hiding Place Annette Rosser Episode: "Tell Them Upstairs" ITV Play of the Week Nurse Episode: "For King and Country #1: Out There" No Cloak – No Dagger Pat Penmore Series regularEmergency Ward 10 Susan Chambers 3 episodes 1964–1965 Lena Hyde Series regular1965 Story Parade WPC Anne Cunningham Episode: "The Make-Believe Man" Love Story Brenda Episode: "After Hours" The Avengers Miss Thirlwell Episode: "The Gravediggers" Public Eye Eva Garston Episode: "Nobody Kills Santa Claus"1966 The Saint Eleanor Bastion Episode: "The Convenient Monster" Out of the Unknown Odile Keppler Episode: "Second Childhood" The Baron Felicia Talbot Episode: "So Dark the Night"1967 The Forsyte Saga Marjorie Ferrar Recurring role Love Story Zoe Episode: "The Swordfighter" The Avengers Cynthia Wentworth-Howe Episode: "The Positive Negative Man" Meeting Point Mandy Pride Episode: "The House by the Stable"1968 The Wednesday Play Matilda Boff Episode: "Coincidence" Public Eye George Episode: "Mercury in an Off-White Mac" Armchair Theatre Jessa Episode: "Unscheduled Stop" The Queen Street Gang Auntie Cuthbert 4 episodes The Champions Marion Grant Episode: "The Experiment" The Caesars Agrippina Mini-series1969 The Power Game Margot Fellowship Episode: "The Goose Chase" Fraud Squad Kay Pilgrim Episode: "Run for Your Money" Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Karen Howarth Episode: "Never Trust a Ghost" Department S Kate Mortimer Episode: "The Shift That Never Was" Strange Report Louise Episode: "Report 2493: Kidnap – Whose Pretty Girl Are You?"1970 Paul Temple Judy Saire Episode: "Right Villain" Play for Today Esther Episode: "The Lie"1971 Man at the Top Maureen Binsey Episode: "Too Good for This World" Shadows of Fear Maureen Episode: "Return of Favours" Wives and Daughters Lady Harriet Mini-series1972 His and Hers Felicity Farrell Episode: "Diet" Villains Rene Episode: "Chas" 1973 Then and Now Erica Episode: "In Memoriam"1976 Murder Elizabeth Episode: "A Variety of Passion" Well Anyway Cornelia de Vance Episode: "There Again"1977 Raffles Lady Paulton Episode: "An Old Flame" The Sunday Drama Deborah Episode: "The Late Wife" Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle Helen Carobleat 2 episodes The Children of the New Forest Judith Villiers 1 episode 1977–1982 Crown Court Kathleen Fenton Series regular1978 Wilde Alliance Elena Episode: "Well Enough Alone" The Lively Arts Narrator Episode: "A Haunted Man" ITV Sunday Night Drama Emily Episode: "The Last Romantic" The Many Wives of Patrick Princess Poliakoff Episode: "One of the Smart Set in a Smart Setting" The Sweeney Hildegarde Episode: "Hearts and Minds"1979 Kids Fay Wilkins Episode: "Diana" Prince Regent Frances Jersey Mini-series The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game Sylvia Guiccoli Episode: "Gambling Lady" 1979–1980 The Mallens Anna Brigmore Series regular 1980 Shoestring Monica Episode: "Looking for Mr Wright"1981 Nanny Adela Quinn 2 episodes Private Schulz Countess 1 episode 1981–1983 The Last Song Alice Bannister Series regular 1982 Play for Today Josie Episode: "Life After Death" 1983 All for Love Narrator Episode: "Miss A and Miss M" 1983–1990 Brass Patience Hardacre Series regular 1984–1985 Mr. Palfrey of Westminster Co-Ordinator Series regular 1985 Charters and Caldicott Margaret Mottram Series regular 1987 The RefugeHelen Crichton-Crick1987Agatha Christie's Miss Marple (TV series) Bess SedgwickEpisode: "At Bertram's Hotel" 1989 Till We Meet Again Madame Courdet Mini-series 1990 Chancer Mary Douglas 3 episodes1991 Shrinks Lady Dyer 1 episode Lovejoy Miss Hemmingway Episode: "Sugar & Spice" Murder Most Horrid Rachel Vine Episode: "A Determined Woman"1992–1993 Mulberry Adele Farnaby 2 episodes Rides Scarlett Series regular 1993 Harry Natasha Lee 1 episode 1994 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Dowager Duchess Episode: "The Three Gables" 1996 As Time Goes By Margaret Episode: "Lionel's Ex-Wife" 1998 The Grand Isobel Crawford 1 episode 1999 Sunburn Mrs Armitage 1 episode2005 Heartbeat Hildy Dressler Episode: "Picture This" Midsomer Murders Angela Hartley Episode: "Bantling Boy" 2006 The Line of Beauty Lady Partridge Mini-series 2008 Small Dark Places Lady Welling TV short 2009 Midsomer Murders Hilary Compton Episode: "Small Mercies" 2011 Doctors Geraldine Crofte Episode: "The Good Daughter" 2012 Holby City Kathleen Pennington Episode: "Through the Darkness" 2013 Agatha Christie's Poirot Julia Carstairs Episode: "Elephants Can Remember" 2014 Father Brown Lavinia Pryde Episode: "The Pride of the Prydes" 2015 Casualty Frances Barrett Episode: "The Long Haul" 2015–2018 Poldark Aunt Agatha Series regular 2016 Midsomer Murders Sylvia Lennard Episode: "The Village That Rose from the Dead"

References

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