Lisa Harrow

Intelligent and luminous red-haired 'Lisa Harrow' (qv) was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 25, 1943. A scholarship from the New Zealand Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council is what sent Lisa studying abroad.Accepted by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she later was invited to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and, in her very first season (1969), portrayed "Olivia" opposite 'Judi Dench' (qv) in "Twelfth Night". Assorted RSC credits included "Desdemona" in "Othello", "Anne Boleyn" in "Henry VIII" and "Portia" in "The Merchant of Venice". Earning a distinct reputation over time, she scored other successes with her "Juliet" opposite 'John Hurt' (qv)'s "Romeo", her "Eliza" in "Pygmalion", and as "the Queen" in "The Eagle has Two Heads", directed by actress 'Susannah York' (qv).In mid-career, Lisa began to grace occasional films. She appeared opposite 'Glenda Jackson' (qv) in the Italian-made film _The Devil Is a Woman (1974)_ (qv) [The Tempter], for which she won the Variety Club's "Most Promising Newcomer" award, and made a touching impression in the related period pieces _All Creatures Great and Small (1975)_ (qv) and _It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1976)_ (qv) [All Things Bright and Beautiful].Lisa met New Zealand actor 'Sam Neill' (qv) during filming of _The Final Conflict (1981)_ (qv) [The Omen III] and the two developed an off-camera relationship that produced their son, 'Tim Neill' (qv), in 1983. More awards came Lisa's way as she matured into character roles. She won an Australian "Oscar" for her superb work in the powerful drama _The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992)_ (qv) and the Grand Jury award at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination, for her role in _Sunday (1997)_ (qv).A standout among Lisa's TV credits is _Man and Superman (1982)_ (qv), which developed following the successful mounting of a stage production starring 'Peter O'Toole' (qv). She also gave a distinguished performance in the title role of the epic mini-series _Nancy Astor (1982)_ (qv).In 1997, she and her husband (from 1991), Dr. 'Roger Payne' (qv), a renowned whale-biologist by trade and documentary producer/director, moved to the United States with her son, Tim. Together, the couple share strong environmental concerns. In 2004, she authored the environmental handbook What Can I Do?Since her move to the U.S., Lisa has been an increasingly formidable presence on the live stage with such daunting productions of "Wit", "Medea", "The Lion in Winter" and "Mary Stuart", among her vast credits. In 2015, Lisa was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the dramatic arts.In later years, Lisa focused more strongly on TV as opposed to film work. She had a plentiful number of roles in both the British series and mini-series formats, including the title roles in the mini-series _Nancy Astor (1982)_ (qv) and _Lizzie's Pictures (1987)_ (qv); the series dramas _A Sense of Guilt (1990)_ (qv), _Always Afternoon (1988)_ (qv); and _Nonni und Manni (1988)_ (qv); as Mama Strauss, the composer's wife, in the biopic European mini-series _Strauss Dynasty (1991)_ (qv); the crime series _Kavanagh QC (1995)_ (qv) and the romantic comedy series _Step Dave (2014)_ (qv). Sporadic filming into the millennium has included the drama _Country (2000)_ (qv) and family fantasy _Henry (2017)_ (qv).::Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net