Ian Smith (actor)
Encyclopedia
Ian Smith 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.
. 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.
, 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.
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. 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.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
in the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
.
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.
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 adoptedAdoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
. 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
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
. 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
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
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
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
on the biographical
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
documentary series Australian Story
Australian Story
Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
on March 2005.
Career
Before appearing on NeighboursNeighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, Smith had previously acted in guest roles in drama series such as the Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions is an Australian television production company founded by Hector Crawford; the present incarnation of the company, Crawfords Australia, is now a subsidiary of the WIN television corporation.-History:...
police dramas Homicide, Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
and Matlock Police
Matlock Police
Matlock Police was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1975....
. He had a regular role in long-running Australian television serial Bellbird, made a guest appearance as a police detective in The Box
The Box (TV series)
The Box was an Australian soap opera than ran on Network Ten from February 1974 until 1977.The Box was produced by Crawford Productions who at the time was having great success producing police procedural television series in Australia...
in 1975, and had a semi-regular role in serial Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
. Smith was also script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
of Prisoner for most of its eight-year run. He became Associate Producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
of Prisoner late in its run.
Neighbours
Smith became best known through his portrayal of Harold Bishop in the soap opera NeighboursNeighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
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
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper that his main decision for leaving Neighbours was the on-going abuse that he received from yobs
Yobbo
Yobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth or thuggish working-class person. The word derives from a back slang reading of the word "boy" .-Britain:Dr. C. T...
near his Melbourne home. 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
Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
The Gold Logie Award has been awarded annually to the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the TV Week Logie Awards since 1960...
in 2009.
In December 2010, Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney is an Australian actor best known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Before Neighbours:...
revealed to TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
that Smith would be returning to Neighbours in 2011. Smith will appear for six weeks from May 2011.
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 Australian Story Australian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations... |
Himself | |
| 2002 | It Shouldn't Happen To A... Soapstar | Himself | |
| 2001 | The Big Breakfast The Big Breakfast The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former... |
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 Blue Heelers Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :... |
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 Neighbours Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems... |
Harold Bishop | Main Cast Writer |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles I Can Jump Puddles I Can Jump Puddles is a 1981 Australian television mini-series based on the 1955 autobiographical series of the same name by author Alan Marshall... |
Mr. Slade | |
| 1979–1986 | Prisoner Prisoner (TV series) Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s... |
Ted Douglas Rev. Potter |
Writer Associate Producer Script Editor |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad Chopper Squad Chopper Squad is an Australian television series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the 0-10 Network .The series was based around the work of a helicopter rescue team operating on Dee Why beach in Sydney... |
Unknown | |
| 1977 | Glenview High Glenview High Glenview High is an Australian television drama series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the Seven Network between 1977 and 1978.-Story:... |
Rocky | |
| Bluey Bluey Bluey is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network in 1976.The series was another crime TV series from Crawford Productions, but was different from previous series - Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police - in that it focused on a single detective rather than... |
Sen. Det. Davidson | ||
| 1975 | Division 4 Division 4 Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes.... |
Mike Chapman | |
| Matlock Police Matlock Police Matlock Police was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1975.... |
Barry | ||
| Quality of Mercy | Unknown | ||
| 1974 | Ryan | Unknown | |
| Alpha Scorpio Alpha Scorpio Alpha Scorpio was a short-lived Australian children's science fiction television series, written and produced by James Davern, and which aired on ABC Television in 1974. It starred Peter Hepworth and Kevin Wilson as two university students who begin to witness strange events while camping at Aireys... |
Unknown | ||
| 1972 | Homicide | Johnny Reid | |
| 1971–1973 | Matlock Police Matlock Police Matlock Police was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1975.... |
Larry Fisher Rick Cameron David Wishart Const. Graham Browning Estate Agent John Roberts |
Multiple Roles |
| 1971 | Homicide | Michael Edmunds | |
| 1969 | Detective Detective A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"... |
Dick Spencer | |
| 1967 | Belbird Bellbird (TV series) Bellbird was an Australian soap opera set in a small Victorian rural township. The series was produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at its Ripponlea TV studios in Elsternwick, Melbourne, Victoria. The series was produced between 28 August 1967 and December 1977... |
Russell Ashwood | |
| 1966 | Homicide | Ray Fox | |