Hillwood is best known for her roles as Lyn Turtle in the BBC TV series A Very Peculiar Practice and as Doctor Grayling Russell in the TV series Inspector Morse.

She is married to Canadian American actor Matt Frewer (best known for playing the title role in Max Headroom). They have one daughter.

Hillwood divides her time between Frewer in Malibu, California, and the Gatineau Hills of Quebec.