Paul Seed began his acting career in the 1970s, playing Father Harris in Coronation Street from 1979 to 1981. In that role, he officiated the marriage of Gail and Brian and oversaw the christening of their son Nick Tilsley on the long-running soap. His other acting credits included appearances in Doctor Who, Pretenders, Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected, and the Victoria Wood TV play Nearly a Happy Ending, which was set during a 'dismal salesmen's party' in a Manchester hotel.
He left acting in the 1980s after completing the BBC's directors' course and transitioned to directing, though the specific motivations beyond this training remain unclear. Seed directed numerous TV dramas, including House of Cards, A Touch of Frost, Doc Martin, Too Late to Talk to Billy, Across the Water, A Rather English Marriage, Just William, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Lark Rise to Candleford, and New Tricks. His 1982 directorial work Too Late to Talk to Billy marked Kenneth Branagh's first appearance on TV, and he directed a young Liam Neeson in Across the Water in 1983.
On stage, Seed appeared in productions such as The Merchant of Venice, The Birthday Party, Love's Labour's Lost, and Hamlet. His directing achievements were recognized with two BAFTAs: Best Single Drama for A Rather English Marriage and Best Drama for the 2010 series of Just William, which starred Daniel Roche as William and Rebecca Front as his mother.
In his personal life, Seed met his wife Elizabeth Cassidy while working on the BBC police drama Z Cars. The couple had two sons, Jack and Sean. The location where Seed died and the date his death was publicly announced have not been confirmed, and it is unknown whether there will be a public memorial or funeral service. The specific type of cancer he died from also remains undisclosed.