Jane Harber

Last updated

Jane Harber
OccupationActress
Years active1997-present
Known for Offspring (TV series)

Jane Harber is an Australian actress who is known from her role as Zara Perkich in the television series Offspring . [1]

Contents

Early life

Harber's mother was a teacher. [2]

Career

Television and film

Harber's first television role was in 1997 biopic The Last of the Ryans . This was followed by a guest role in a 1997 episode of Blue Heelers , titled "Sisterly Love", in which she played a young girl called Chloe Bassetti. [3]

She went on to play Bianca Nugent in long-running soap opera Neighbours , a role she played for three years. [4] She also had a recurring role as Zdenka Milanovic in The Secret Life of Us and played Susie Money in the crime drama series Underbelly . [5]

In 2012, Harber starred as Cora Benson in the ABC comedy series A Moody Christmas . [6] [7] She reprised the role in The Moodys , a follow-up to A Moody Christmas. [8] [7] In 2013, she regularly appeared in The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting , a sketch comedy show for the ABC. [9] She also appeared as a special guest in an episode of the comedy game show SlideShow on the Seven Network.[ citation needed ]

In 2014, Harber played Michele Bennett, a former girlfriend of INXS lead singer, Michael Hutchence, in the TV miniseries INXS: Never Tear Us Apart . [10]

Harber is probably best known for her role as Zara Perkich in seven seasons (86 episodes) of Offspring . [11] [2] She later co-wrote the 2017 Offspring spin-off web series, St Francis, in which she also starred. [7] [12]

Harber played Karen in the 2018 Netflix TV movie, Pretty Little Stalker [7] and, in 2020, she took a leading role in Nine Network crime miniseries, Informer 3838 , [13] a spin-off of the Underbelly franchise. The same year, she was a team captain in the TV panel show Show Me the Movie! , alongside Rove McManus and Joel Creasey. [7]

In 2022, Harber appeared in ABC children's series MaveriX , [14] playing the role of Tanya. The following year, she joined the cast of ABC drama miniseries In Limbo. [15] In 2024, Harber joined the ABC drama The Family Next Door . [16] The same year, she appeared in 2024 crime thriller feature film Sleeping Dogs alongside Russell Crowe. [17]

In 2025, Harber joined the cast of UK/Australian co-commission miniseries Imposter , alongside fellow Neighbours alumnus Jackie Woodburne, Don Hany and Dannii Minogue, playing the role of Kate. [18] [19]

Harber's other guest television credits include playing Clara Whiting in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries , Georgina Rivers in House Husbands and Joss/Lucy in Lowdown . [4] [5]

Harber has also worked on the other side of the camera, having collaborated with former Offspring co-star Kat Stewart and actor Diana Glenn to produce series The Elementals. [20] |}

Theatre

Harber has also performed for the stage with roles including a lead in the 2014 world premiere of The Speechmaker for Melbourne Theatre Company, Alaura Kingsley in City of Angels at Fortyfivedownstairs and Second Little Girl in Four Little Girls for Handspan Theatre Company. [4]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997 The Last of the Ryans Lyn HughanTV film
Blue Heelers Chloe BassettiEpisode: "Sisterly Love"
1997–1998 Raw FM Susan MulhollandEpisodes: "Light My Flame", "Playing with Fire", "One"
1999–2002 Neighbours Bianca NugentRecurring role
2005 The Secret Life of Us Zdenka MilanovicEpisodes: "The Big Leap", "The Treadmill"
2008 Underbelly Susie MoneyRecurring role
2010–2017 Offspring Zara PerkichRecurring role (series 1–4), main (series 5–7)
2010 Lowdown Lucy / JossEpisode: "Project Runaway"
2012 House Husbands Georgina RiversEpisode: "Trivia Night"
A Moody Christmas Cora BensonMiniseries
2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Clara WhitingEpisode: "Framed for Murder"
2014 INXS: Never Tear Us Apart Michele Bennett Miniseries
The Moodys Cora BensonMiniseries
2017St FrancisZara PerkichEpisodes 2–5
2018 Back in Very Small Business CocoEpisodes: "By Design", "Bad Influence", "Litigating Circumstances", "Crossing the Line"
Pretty Little StalkerKarenTV film
2019 My Life Is Murder Chloe AngelEpisode: "Fake Empire"
2020 Informer 3838 Susan ReichertMiniseries
2022 Summer Love CaitiAnthology series, episode 3
MaveriX Tanya10 episodes
2023 In Limbo Beth6 episodes
The Newsreader Carla Carrol2 episodes
2025 The Family Next Door Lulu
Reckless KateMiniseries
Imposter Kate TempletonMiniseries

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023 Foe News Reporter
2024 Sleeping Dogs Catherine Finn

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1996–1997 Four Little Girls Second Little Girl Thailand Cultural Centre, VCA, Melbourne, Teatro National, Caracas, Venezuela with Handspan Theatre Company [4] [21]
2006 City of Angels Alaura Kingsley Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne with Just Pretending [4] [22]
2014The SpeechmakerSam Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC / Working Dogs Productions [7] [23] [24]
2018 Gloria Ani / Sasha / Callie Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [7] [25]

References

  1. "Australian Television: Offspring". www.australiantelevision.net.
  2. 1 2 "Interview: Jane Harber". www.morethanaprettyface.com.au via The Paradise Road. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  3. "Blue Heelers: episode guide – Series 4: Sisterly Love". www.australiantelevision.net. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gender Matters Brilliant Stories Funding Biographies: The Elementals". Screen Australia . 24 December 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Jane Harber" (PDF). www.showcast.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  6. Enker, Compiled by Andrew Murfett, Greg Hassall, Paul Kalina, Melinda Houston and Debi (7 November 2012). "Fifteen faces for the future". The Sydney Morning Herald .{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jane Harber: voice". www.rgm.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  8. Knox, David (27 March 2012). "Filming begins on This Christmas". TV Tonight . Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  9. "The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting: episode guide". www.australiantelevision.net. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  10. "A touchstone for Michael Hutchence". TV Tonight . 6 February 2014.
  11. Knox, David (30 April 2016). "Offspring cast confirmed". TV Tonight . Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  12. "St Francis (2017)". Screen Australia . Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  13. Knox, David (6 April 2020). "Airdate: Informer 3838". TV Tonight . Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  14. Knox, David (13 April 2021). "Cameras roll on ABC ME's MaveriX". TV Tonight . Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  15. Knox, David (13 September 2022). "Cameras roll on ABC comedy, Limbo". TV Tonight . Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  16. "NEW DRAMA SERIES THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR MOVES INTO BAYSIDE MELBOURNE". VicScreen . Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  17. "Jane Harber: Award Winning Actor". www.filmtv.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  18. "Dannii is back on TV! Singer spotted filming in Aus". PerthNow . 16 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  19. Pearce, Tilly (18 December 2025). "The Imposter cast: Who stars in the 5 thriller?". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  20. {{Cite web |url= https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/offspring-star-jane-harber-loves-to-act-but-is-more-focused-on-her-off-screen-projects/news-story/d00c76835a44f7e0c854a7f59355bbf2?amp |first= Sally |last= Rawsthorne |date= 27 June 2025 |access-date= 25 December 2025 |website= www.dailytelegraph.com.au
  21. "Four Little Girls". AusStage . Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  22. "City of Angels". AusStage . Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  23. "The Speechmaker". AusStage . Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  24. "The Speechmaker". www.stagewhispers.com.au. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  25. "Gloria". AusStage . Retrieved 25 December 2025.