#InTheSpotlight CAROLYN STEYN - FOUNDER OF 67 BLANKETS FOR NELSON MANDELA DAY

Actress and radio announcer. Also known as Carolyn Barkhuizen and for a while as Carolyn Barkhuizen Steyn. Born in Johannesburg, as Carolyn Barkhuizen, studied at Jeppe Girls' High in 1977, then graduated with a BA (HONS) in Dramatic Art in 1981. While at Wits she performed in The Playboy of the Western World (as “Pegeen”), The Philanthropist (as “Celia”), The Merchant of Venice (as “Portia”). She performed for PACT Drama for about 5 years, doing, inter alia I, Anastasia, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Hope for the Caterpillars (as the Narrator). She then joined the Radio 5 team, she became a familiar voice reading the news and co-hosting the weekend breakfast show with Martin Locke. She moved to the United States for 10 years, where she studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse under acting guru, Milton Katselas along with fellow students, Kate Hudson, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeffrey Tambor, Tony Danza, Doris Roberts amongst others. She appeared in numerous plays in Los Angeles under her married name of Carolyn Steyn, notably in Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal', 'Private Lives', and 'Shadowlands'. She also appeared on the television series 'Melrose Place', 'The Larry Sanders Show', and 'Babylon 5'. After living in London for 5 years, Carolyn returned to South Africa to take on roles in TV shows (e.g. Generations) and co-host a Radio Today show 'Whispers with Carolyn Steyn and Michael de Pinna'.