Lisa Harrow (born 25 August 1943) is a New Zealand

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...

-trained actress, noted for her roles in British theatre, films and television. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Nancy Astor in the British BBC television drama, '' Nancy Astor''.

Early life

Harrow was born in the

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

suburb of Mount Eden on 25 August 1943, the daughter of Kennedy Mayo Harrow and Eleanor Joan Harrow (née Stacpoole). She studied at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

, and later graduated from

in 1968, joining BBC Radio's Repertory Company.

Acting career

Theatre

Harrow's stage career started at the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

; roles there included Olivia in John Barton's production of ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' opposite

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

, and

Portia Portia may refer to: Biology * ''Portia'' (spider), a genus of jumping spiders *'' Anaea troglodyta'' or Portia, a brush-footed butterfly *Portia tree, a plant native to Polynesia Medication A form of birth control made of ethinylestradiol/lev ...

in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' opposite Patrick Stewart. Other leading roles in the UK theatre include

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist ...

opposite John Hurt's Romeo at the

Belgrade Theatre The Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built in Britain after the Second World War and is now a Grade II listed building. Background Coventry was the fastest growing city i ...

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...

, and Ann Whitfield in '' Man and Superman'' opposite

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old V ...

at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. Harrow has performed on stage all over America. She took over the central role of Vivian Bearing in the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

winning play ''

Wit Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. For ...

'' in its long-running

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

production in New York City. She was named 2001 Performer of the Year in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

for ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jaso ...

''. Other roles include: Raynevskya in '' The Cherry Orchard'' at Yale Rep and the Chautauqua Theatre Company, where she also played Kate Keller in ''

All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act Play (theatre), play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway theatre, Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and r ...

.'' She played

Creusa In Greek mythology, Creusa (; grc, Κρέουσα ''Kreousa'' "princess") may refer to the following figures: * Creusa, a naiad daughter of Gaia. * Creusa, daughter of Erechtheus, King of Athens and his wife, Praxithea. * Creusa, also known ...

in the Washington Shakespeare Theatre Company's 3 October 2009–4/12/2009 production of

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...

's '' Ion''.

Television and film

Harrow is known for playing Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, in the 1982 BBC drama '' Nancy Astor''. It aired in the United States in the PBS series '' Masterpiece Theatre''. Her first film role was in the Italian film '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1974) starring Glenda Jackson. Also in 1976, she featured in an episode of '' Space: 1999'' as Anna Davies in '

The Testament of Arkadia "The Testament of Arkadia" is the twenty-third episode of the first series of ''Space: 1999''. The screenplay was written by Johnny Byrne (writer), Johnny Byrne; the director was David Tomblin. The final shooting script is dated 5 February 1975, ...

'. Harrow played Helen Alderson in the film adaptation of James Herriot's book '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975), starring alongside Simon Ward and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

. She reprised the role the following year in the sequel '' It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'', this time opposite John Alderton and Colin Blakely. 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' (1978), written by Brian Clemens. She also starred in the BBC2 series ''

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...

'' as Deputy Controller Lynn Blake. Harrow played journalist Kate Reynolds in the horror film '' Omen III: The Final Conflict'' (1981) starring

Sam Neill Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...

, and worked with Neill again in

Krzysztof Zanussi Krzysztof Pius Zanussi (born 17 June 1939) is a Polish film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He is ...

's film '. She starred in the New Zealand film '' Shaker Run'' in 1985, and played Lizzie Dickinson in the BBC series '' Lizzie's Pictures'' (1987). She won the

Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role The AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest ach ...

for her performance in ''

The Last Days of Chez Nous ''The Last Days of Chez Nous'' is a 1992 Australian drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong and written by Helen Garner. Made in a style that emphasizes naturalism over melodrama, the film centres on what happens after Vicki arrives at the hou ...

'' (1992). In 1990, Harrow 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, she also starred in the ABC-TV miniseries adaptation of '' Come in Spinner'', and played the role of Imogen Donahue in '' Agatha Christie's Poirot'' ' The Kidnapped Prime Minister'. Her 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) to move to America. In 2014, she played Marion in the New Zealand television series ''

Step Dave ''Step Dave'' is a New Zealand comedy-drama television series written by Kate McDermott. It began airing its first series in New Zealand on 11 February 2014. It was renewed for a second series, which began airing on 1 September 2015. Jono Kenyon ...

''.

In the

2015 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2015 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

, Harrow was appointed an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have re ...

for services to the dramatic arts.

Personal life

Harrow was in a relationship with actor

in the 1980s. Their son Tim was born in 1983. She is now married to whale

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize ...

Roger Payne, and lives in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

, US. Payne is founder and President of

Ocean Alliance Ocean Alliance, Inc., is a 501(c)3 organization founded in 1971 as one of the world's first organizations dedicated to protecting cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). The organization is headquartered in the iconic Tarr & Wonson Paint Man ...

. He and Scott McVay discovered the long, complex and apparently random sounds produced by male

humpback whales The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh up to . The humpb ...

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".

Author

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: * (pbk. : alk. paper) Includes bibliographical references.

Honours

In the

, Harrow was appointed an

, for services to the dramatic arts.

Filmography

* '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1974) as Emilia Contreas * '' Space: 1999'' - Episode : '

' (1975 – TV) as Anna Davis * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975 – TV) as Helen * '' It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (1976) as Helen * ''

Star Maidens ''Star Maidens'' is a British-German science-fiction television series, made by Portman Productions for the ITV network. Produced in 1975, and first broadcast in 1976, it was filmed at Bray Studios and on location in Windsor and Bracknell, B ...

'' (1976 – TV) as Dr Liz Becker * ''1990'' (1978 – TV) as Lynn Blake * ''The Look'' (1978 – TV) as Sonny * '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1980 – TV) as Ann Coggeshall * '' Omen III: The Final Conflict'' (1981) as Kate Reynolds * ' (1981) as Wanda * '' Nancy Astor'' (1982 – TV) as Nancy Astor * '' Man and Superman'' (1982 – TV) as Ann Whitefield * '' Other Halves'' (1984) as Liz * '' Shaker Run'' (1985) as Dr. Christine Rubin * '' Lizzie's Pictures'' (1987 – TV) as Lizzie Dickinson * ''

Act of Betrayal ''Act of Betrayal'' is a 1988 mini-series that was a co-production between Ireland, Australia and the US. Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, it stars Lisa Harrow, Elliott Gould, Patrick Bergin, Deborra-Lee Furness, and Max Cullen. It had a b ...

'' (1988 – TV) as Eileen McGurk * ''

Always Afternoon ''Always Afternoon'' is a 1988 Australian mini series about German internees in Australia,Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p173 set in 1914 at Trial Bay Gaol in New South Wales. The series was ...

'' (1988 – TV) as Nancy Kennon * ''

Nonni and Manni ''Nonni and Manni'' is an adventure children's television series produced as a joint venture between Iceland and West Germany. It debuted on 26 December 1988 on West Germany's ZDF channel and lasted for six episodes with the last one being aired on ...

'' (1988–89 – TV) as Sigrid Jónsdóttir * '' Come in Spinner'' (1990 – TV) as Claire Jeffries * '' Inspector Morse'': 'The Sins of the Fathers' (1990 – TV) as Thelma Radford * ''

'' (1992) as Beth * '' Agatha Christie's Poirot'': 'The Kidnapped Prime Minister' (1990) as Mrs. Daniels * ''

That Eye, the Sky ''That Eye, the Sky'' is a 1986 novel by Australian author Tim Winton. It follows the young protagonist Morton 'Ort' Flack, as he struggles to cope with life in a small country town after his father is paralyzed in a serious car accident. After ...

'' (1994) as Alice Flack * '' Kavanagh QC'' (1995–97 – TV) as Lizzie Kavanagh * ''

Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sund ...

'' (1997) as Madeleine Vesey * ''

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

'' (2000) as Miriam * '' Jessica'' (2004 – TV) as Hester Bergman * '' Red Knot'' (2014) as Lisa Harrow * ''

'' (2014 – TV) as Marion Gray * '' Henry'' (2017) as Joanna * '' The Brokenwood Mysteries'': 'Exposed To The Light' (2021 – TV) as Charlotte Chambers * '' Blind Bitter Happiness Pilot'' (2021 – TV) as Grandma Magsie * '' Destination Love'' (2021 – TV) as Katherine

References

External links

*
Lisa Harrow , Biography, Photos, Movies, TV, Credits , Hollywood.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrow, Lisa 1943 births Living people New Zealand stage actresses New Zealand film actresses New Zealand television actresses Non-fiction environmental writers People from Auckland Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art University of Auckland alumni People from Windsor County, Vermont Best Actress AACTA Award winners Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit