Ian Smith (actor)
| Ian Smith | |
|---|---|
_crop.jpg) Ian Smith in 2001 |
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| Born | 19 June 1938 Melbourne, Victoria |
| Occupation | Television actor |
| Years active | 1966 – present |
Ian Smith (born 19 June 1938) is an Australian soap opera character actor and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours.
It was reported on 19 November 2011 that Smith will be joining Series 11 of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! to set the camp-mates some new challenges. He will not be joining the camp-mates.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Smith was 54 when his mother Connie Smith, realising she had twenty-four hours to live, finally admitted to him that he had been adopted. After her death, Smith went in search of his natural mother Peg Kline, whom he finally found. According to Kline's story, Smith was conceived when she was fourteen, the product of rape, and was put up for adoption. Kline eventually married and had two children from this marriage. She never told anyone besides her husband about her first son until she was contacted by Smith via a letter.
She contacted his wife Gail Smith, who mentioned that her son was a prominent Neighbours actor, to which Kline replied, "I've never seen Neighbours in my life". Smith and Kline were reunited and he has built a strong relationship with his mother and two half-brothers, although Smith says that he doesn't feel a mother–son relationship. He calls Kline "one of my best friends". Peg Kline died in May 2005 after a battle with cancer.
Smith first told the story to the public in an exclusive interview on the biographical documentary series Australian Story on March 2005.
[edit] Career
Before appearing on Neighbours, Smith had previously acted in guest roles in drama series such as the Crawford Productions police dramas Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police. He had a regular role in long-running Australian television serial Bellbird, made a guest appearance as a police detective in The Box in 1975, and had a semi-regular role in serial Prisoner. Smith was also script editor of Prisoner for most of its eight-year run. He became Associate Producer of Prisoner late in its run.
[edit] Neighbours
Smith became best known through his portrayal of Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours from 1987 to 1991, and returning in 1996. He switched to recurring status from 2008 to 2009, becoming one of its longest serving characters.
In 2008, he revealed to the Daily Mail newspaper that his main decision for leaving Neighbours was the on-going abuse that he received from yobs near his Melbourne home.[2] He claimed that the abuse was so bad, he had to get the police involved. In his final Neighbours storyline, his character was diagnosed with cancer. Harold recovered after treatment and was written out by leaving to travel around Australia. For his portrayal of Harold, Smith received a nomination for a Gold Logie Award in 2009.
In December 2010, Ryan Moloney revealed to TV Week that Smith would be returning to Neighbours in 2011. Smith will appear for six weeks from May 2011.[3]
[edit] Filmography
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | The British Soap Awards | Himself | Award Presentation |
| 2011 | OK! TV | Himself | |
| 2011 | Loose Women | Himself | |
| 2010 | Underbelly The Golden Mile | Ken Wallis | |
| 2009 | Talkin' Bout Your Generation | Himself | |
| The Jesus Spoon | Buck Senior | ||
| Remembering Nigel | Himself | ||
| 2008 | Loose Women | Himself | |
| 2007 | Little Britain Down Under | Himself | Special Thanks |
| 2005 | Australian Story | Himself | |
| 2002 | It Shouldn't Happen To A... Soapstar | Himself | |
| 2001 | The Big Breakfast | Himself | |
| 2000 | Neighbours Revealed | Himself Harold Bishop |
|
| 1997 | The Last Of Ryans | Sir Arthur Rylah | |
| 1996 | The Genie From Down Under | Race Judge | |
| 1994 | Blue Heelers | Clive Burton | |
| 1993 | Body Melt | Dr. Carrera | |
| 1992 | Noel's House Party | Himself | |
| 1991 | Pebble Mill at One | Himself | |
| That's Showbusiness | Himself | ||
| 1990 | Happy Birthday, Coronation Street | Himself | |
| 1987–2009 | Neighbours | Harold Bishop | Main Cast Writer |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Mr. Slade | |
| 1979–1986 | Prisoner | Ted Douglas Rev. Potter |
Writer Associate Producer Script Editor |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Unknown | |
| 1977 | Glenview High | Rocky | |
| Bluey | Sen. Det. Davidson | ||
| 1975 | Division 4 | Mike Chapman | |
| Matlock Police | Barry | ||
| Quality of Mercy | Unknown | ||
| 1974 | Ryan | Unknown | |
| Alpha Scorpio | Unknown | ||
| 1972 | Homicide | Johnny Reid | |
| 1971–1973 | Matlock Police | Larry Fisher Rick Cameron David Wishart Const. Graham Browning Estate Agent John Roberts |
Multiple Roles |
| 1971 | Homicide | Michael Edmunds | |
| 1969 | Detective | Dick Spencer | |
| 1967 | Belbird | Russell Ashwood | |
| 1966 | Homicide | Ray Fox | |
[edit] References
- ^ The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/im_a__celebrity/3945655/Im-A-Celeb-says-Gday-to-Harold.html.
- ^ "'I quit Neighbours over fat Harold taunts from cruel yobs,' reveals Ian Smith". Daily Mail (London). 6 November 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1083543/I-quit-Neighbours-fat-Harold-taunts-cruel-yobs-reveals-Ian-Smith.html.
- ^ Millar, Paul (28 December 2010). "Harold Bishop returning to Ramsay Street". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s14/neighbours/news/a295001/harold-bishop-returning-to-ramsay-street.html. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- Australian Story – 14 March 2005
