Lisa Harrow Biography
Lisa Harrow is a New Zealand actress best known for her roles in British theatre, films and television. She studied at the University of Auckland, and later graduated from RADA in 1968, joining BBC Radio’s Repertory Company.
Lisa Harrow Career
Theatre
Harrow’s stage career started at the Royal Shakespeare Company; roles there included Olivia in John Barton’s production of Twelfth Night opposite Portia and Judi Dench in The Merchant of Venice opposite Patrick Stewart.
Her other leading roles in the UK theatre include Juliet opposite John Hurt’s Romeo at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, and Ann Whitfield in Man and Superman opposite Peter O’Toole at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket.
Television and film
Harrow is best known for playing Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, in the BBC drama Nancy Astor of 1982. It aired in the United States in the PBS series Masterpiece Theatre.
Harrow’s first film role was in the Italian film The Devil Is a Woman (1974) starring Glenda Jackson. In 1975, she played Helen Alderson in the film adaptation of James Herriot’s book All Creatures Great and Small, starring alongside Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins. She reprised the role in 1996 in the sequel It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet, this time opposite John Alderton and Colin Blakely.
In 1978, Harrow guest-starred in The Professionals as a formidable counsel arguing at a Court of Inquiry for the disbandment of CI5 in the second season episode ‘The Rack’, written by Brian Clemens. In that year she starred in the BBC2 TV series 1990 as Deputy Controller Lynn Blake.
He played journalist Kate Reynolds in the horror film Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) starring Sam Neill, and worked with Neill again in Krzysztof Zanussi’s film From a Far Country. Harrow starred in the New Zealand film Shaker Run in 1985, and played Lizzie Dickinson in the BBC series Lizzie’s Pictures (1987). Harrow won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992).
In 1990, she played the tart-tongued, ignored wife in a cunning family of rich brewers in Sins of the Father, Episode 13 of the Inspector Morse series for ITV, starring John Thaw. That year, Harrow also starred in the ABC-TV miniseries Come In Spinner, and played the role of Imogen Donahue in Agatha Christie’s Poirot The Kidnapped Prime Minister.
Harrow’s most recent television performance in Britain was as Kavanagh’s wife Lizzie in the series Kavanagh QC, also starring Thaw. She left the programme after the 3rd series (transmitted in 1997) in order to move to America.
In 2014, Harrow played Marion in the New Zealand television series Step Dave. In the 2015 New Year Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the dramatic arts.
Lisa Harrow Age
She was born on August 25, 1943 in Auckland, New Zealand. She is 75 years old as of 2018.
Lisa Harrow Family
Harrow is the daughter of Kennedy Mayo Harrow and Eleanor Joan Harrow (née Stacpoole).
Lisa Harrow Husband
Harrow is married to whale biologist Roger Payne. They tied the knot in 1992 and together they live in Vermont. Payne is founder and President of Ocean Alliance.
Payneand Scott McVay discovered the long, complex and apparently random sounds produced by male humpback whales are actually rhythmic, repeated sequences, and therefore, are properly called ‘whale songs’. The couple have created a lecture/performance piece called ‘SeaChange: Reversing the Tide’.
She was previously married to Sam Neill from 1980 to 1989. Their son Tim was born in 1983.
Lisa Harrow Books
Harrow is the author of the environmental handbook What Can I Do?, published in separate editions for Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the United States. She has a website to promote the book. The U.S. edition:
- 2004 – What Can I Do? An Alphabet for Living
- 2005 – What Can I Do? Using the Internet to Help New Zealand’s Environment
- 2005 – What Can I Do?
Lisa Harrow Movies
- 2015 Snooze Time as Evie
- 2014 Red Knot as Herself
- 2004 Jessica as Hester Bergman
- 1997 Sunday as Madeleine Vesey
- 1995 That Eye, the Sky as Alice Flack
- 1992 The Last Days of Chez Nous as Beth
- 1985 Shaker Run as Dr. Christine Rubin
- 1984 Other Halves as Liz
- 1982 Man and Superman as Ann Whitefield
- 1981 From a Far Country as Wanda
- 1981 Omen III: The Final Conflict as Kate Reynolds
- 1980 Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as Ann
- 1976 It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet as Helen Herriot
- 1975 All Creatures Great and Small as Helen Alderson
- 1974 The Tempter as Emilia Contreras
Lisa Harrow Tv Shows
- 2014 Step Dave (26 episodes) as Marrion
- 2004 Jessica (2 episodes)
- 1995 Kavanagh QC (29 episodes)
- 1991 Strauss Dynasty (6 episodes)
- 1988 Nonni und Manni (6 episodes)
- 1987 Lizzie’s Pictures (4 episodes)
- 1987 Inspector Morse (1 episode)
- 1984 Playing Shakespeare (9 episodes)
- 1983 Under Capricorn (2 episodes) as Lady Henrietta Flusky
- 1982 Nancy Astor (9 episodes) as Nancy Astor
- 1977 1990 (8 episodes) as Lynn Blake
- 1976 Star Maidens (12 episodes) as Liz
- 1951 Hallmark Hall of Fame (1 episode)