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Sarah Peirse | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, director |
| Known for | Heavenly Creatures (1994) Rain (2001) |
Sarah Peirse is a New Zealand actress who works on both screen and stage. She is best known for her roles as Honora Rieper Parker in Heavenly Creatures and as Kate in Rain .
Peirse studied acting for a year at a drama school associated with Auckland's Theatre Corporate, alongside fellow actors, Donogh Rees and Phillip Gordon. [1]
Following her studies, Peirse acted in theatrical productions such as A Bear Called Paddington and Three Sisters . In 1984, after a year in London, she began directing theatre, starting with Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls at Theatre Corporate. [1]
Peirse’s first screen role was in the 1980 short film Queen Street, followed by a main role in the TV movie It’s Lizzie to those Close, for which she won a Feltex Best Actress award. She continued to appear in theatre, television and film, and was nominated for an award for her role in the 1985 film Arriving Tuesday , and a Best Supporting Actress award for her role in 1988 fantasy film The Navigator . [1]
In 1989, Peirse spent two years with the Melbourne Theatre Company, before relocating to Sydney for nine years, followed by a three year stint in the United Kingdom.
Peirse briefly returned to New Zealand to star in the 1994 Peter Jackson film Heavenly Creatures , alongside Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey, playing the role of the ill-fated Honora Rieper Parker. [1] Jackson fell in love with Peirse's acting when she starred in the film A Woman of Good Character, and regarded her as the only choice for the part of Parker. Peirse also acted as drama coach for Melanie Lynskey on the film. [2]
She again returned to New Zealand, to star in the 2001 coming of age film Rain , playing the role of the disaffected, sophisticated Kate. Her performance earned her two Best Actress awards. [1] Peirse's further New Zealand credits include The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell, Under the Vines , the 2011 TV movie Bliss and an award-winning turn in the TV movie Aftershock. [1]
Her Australian TV credits include guest appearances in The Flying Doctors , Water Rats and Spirited and 1987 Australian thriller film Went Up the Hill . More recently she has featured in series such as Old School , Hunters, Seven Types of Ambiguity , Offspring , The Letdown and Love Me . [1] On 9 December 2024, Peirse was named in the cast for season three of Foxtel legal drama The Twelve. [3]
She starred in the 2001 British TV movie Murder Rooms . [1]
Peirse starred as Hilda in Peter Jackson's Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogy, as well as Dr. Gladys Bell in the American fantasy drama series Sweet Tooth (2021–2023). [1]
Peirse's stage credits include a 2018 production of Melbourne Theatre Company's The Children, [4] as well as lead roles in Cabaret , Three Sisters , A Streetcar Named Desire , and Molly Sweeney . [1] Peirse spent many years at both Theatre Corporate and the Mercury Theatre in New Zealand. where she eventually became Associate Director. She has also directed at the Adelaide State Theatre. [2]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | A Woman of Good Character | Lizzie |
| 1985 | Sylvia | Vivian Wallop |
| 1986 | My Letter to George (aka Mesmerized or Shocked) | Victoria's mother |
| Arriving Tuesday | Carol | |
| 1987 | Young Detectives on Wheels | Auntie Kim |
| 1988 | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey | Linnet |
| 1994 | Heavenly Creatures | Honora Parker Rieper |
| 2001 | Rain | Kate |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | Florist |
| 2010 | The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell | Dr. Riebeeck |
| 2011 | Bliss: The Beginning of Katherine Mansfield | Annie Beauchamp |
| 2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Hilda Blanca |
| 2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | Hilda Blanca |
| 2018 | Mortal Engines | Dr. Twix |
| 2022 | Nude Tuesday | Felicity |
| 2024 | A Mistake | Mary, Head of Surgery |
| Went Up the Hill | Helen | |
| Addition |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | It's Lizzie to Those Close | Lizzie | TV movie | |
| 1984 | Inside Straight | Libby Wilkes | 1 episode | |
| 1987 | Steel Riders | Auntie Kim | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | The Flying Doctors | Elizabeth Samuels | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | Water Rats | Margaret Roberts | 1 episode | |
| Fable | Clarissa | TV movie | ||
| 1998 | Murder Call | Harriet Fratelli | 1 episode | |
| 1999 | Dog's Head Bay | Jenny Grant | 3 episodes | |
| 2001 | Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes | Agnes | Miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 2008 | Aftershock | Angela Flite | TV movie | |
| 2009 | City Homicide | Lucille Neades | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Spirited | Charlotte | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Bliss | Annie Beauchamp | TV movie | |
| 2014 | Old School | Margaret McCabe | 8 episodes | [5] |
| Rake | Politicians Commissioner | 1 episode | ||
| 2016 | The Shannara Chronicles | Pyria Elessedil | 2 episodes | |
| Hunters | Finnerman | 12 episodes | ||
| 2016–2017 | Offspring | Marjorie Van Dyke | 13 episodes | |
| 2017 | Seven Types of Ambiguity | Detective Staszic | Miniseries, 5 episodes | |
| 2017–2019 | The Letdown | Verity | 8 episodes | [6] [7] |
| 2020 | Stateless | Assistant Secretary Genevieve Mundy | Miniseries, 5 episodes | |
| 2021 | Sweet Tooth | Dr. Gladys Bell | Season 1, 3 episodes | |
| 2021–2023 | Love Me | Christine Mathieson | 8 episodes | [8] |
| 2021–2024 | Under the Vines | Marissa Silverton | 17 episodes | |
| 2025 | The Twelve | Season 3: "Cape Rock Killer", 8 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Top Girls | Director | Theatre Corporate, Auckland | |
| Wednesday to Come | Director | Theatre Corporate, Auckland | ||
| 1986 | The Trojan Women | Director | Auckland Domain with Public Works | |
| 1987 | Squatter | Director | Mercury One, Auckland | |
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Director | Mercury Theatre, Auckland | ||
| 1989 | Mrs Klein | Director | Mercury Theatre, Auckland | |
| 1991 | A Delicate Balance | Director | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA | |
| 1994 | Someone Who'll Watch Over Me | Director | Herald Theatre, Auckland with ATC | |
| 1995 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Director | Herald Theatre, Auckland with ATC | |
| 1997 | Master Class | Director | Herald Theatre, Auckland with ATC | |
| 2003 | A Doll's House | Director | UNITEC Theatre, Auckland | |
| 2004 | The Bach | Director | Herald Theatre, Auckland with ATC |
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | A Woman of Good Character (aka It's Lizzie to those Close) | Feltex Awards | Best Actress | Won | [14] |
| 1985 | Arriving Tuesday | NZ Listener GOFTA Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [14] |
| 1989 | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey | NZ Film & TV Awards | Best Female in a Supporting Role | Won | [14] |
| 1995 | Heavenly Creatures | NZ Film & TV Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Won | [14] |
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [14] | ||
| 1997 | Molly Sweeney | Green Room Awards | Best Female Actor | Won | |
| 2001 | Rain | Nokia New Zealand Film Awards | Best Actress | Won | [14] |
| 2002 | Fantasporto Festival | Best Actress – Directors’ Week Section | Won | [14] | |
| 2003 | Chlotrudis Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [14] | |
| 2009 | Aftershock | Qantas Film & Television Awards | Best Actress – Television | Nominated | [14] |
| 2012 | Bliss: The Beginning of Katherine Mansfield | NZ Film & Television Awards | Best Performance by a Supporting Actress | Nominated | [14] |
| 2014 | Switzerland | Sydney Theatre Awards | Bear Actress | Won | [15] |
| 2015 | Endgame | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated | [15] |
| 2016 | The Golden Age | Helpmann Awards | Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Won | [15] |
| 2018 | Seven Types of Ambiguity | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie | Won | [14] |
| 2024 | Women of Troy | Tasmanian Council Theatre Awards | Best Performance | Won | [16] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
