Elizabeth Alexander (actress) explained

Elizabeth Alexander
Birth Date:21 August 1952[1]
Birth Place:Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Othername:Liz Alexander
Yearsactive:1967–current

Elizabeth Alexander (sometimes credited as Liz Alexander; born 21 August 1952) is an Australian actress, director and teacher.

Personal life

Alexander was born in Adelaide, South Australia, but now lives in Sydney. She attended All Hallows' School in Brisbane. She was married to actor George Spartels from 1984 to 2006 and has two daughters. She currently works at Queenwood School for Girls as a dramatic arts teacher.[2]

Career

Alexanders' acting career began early with a part in the series Bellbird in 1967. However, it was straight from graduating at National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) that she got her big break with the part of Esther Wolcott in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) series Seven Little Australians. Allegedly the producers had all but given up on the show, because they did not feel that they had found a suitable actress for the part, until they discovered Alexander. She was actually younger than actress Barbara Llewellyn, who played her stepdaughter Meg in the series, but producers and audiences felt that they were both convincing in their roles.

The ten-part series delivered huge ratings when it was broadcast in 1973, and was also the first ABC series to enjoy international acclaim. It went on to win three Australian Film Institute Awards and four Penguins, including best drama series and the 1974 George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent for Alexander as the sweet-tempered Esther. The series is now available on DVD.

Alexander had a recurring guest role in the high rating Australian medical drama All Saints as the viper-like Dr. Alison Newell, ex-wife of Dr. Frank Campion, played by John Howard. She was not initially written as his ex-wife, as her character appeared before Howard joined the cast. Apparently, it was the sharp onscreen dynamic between Alexander and Howard in their early scenes together that made the writers decide to write this history into Alexander's character.

Other television credits include: Home and Away (she played Christine Jones, the overprotective conservative mother of Melody Jones), Silent Number, Special Squad, Chopper Squad, Farscape, Murder Call, Seven Deadly Sins (Pride), Salem's Lot and Time Trax, a science fiction series in which she starred as a computer hologram alongside Dale Midkiff.

Her film work includes: the lead role in The Killing of Angel Street (which won an award at the Berlin Film Festival) opposite John Hargreaves, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Summerfield with Nick Tate and John Waters, Sebastian and the Sparrow and The Journalist with Sam Neill. 2010 saw her appear in a thriller called The Clinic and in 2011 she made an appearance in Fred Schepisi's The Eye of the Storm.

Her theatre credits are also numerous and include: Hermione in The Winter's Tale, Portia in The Merchant of Venice for which she received glowing reviews, Martha in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for which she again received extremely positive reviews, Kate in another STC production of Harold Pinter's Old Times and many more. She also played anthropologist Margaret Mead in David Williamson's play Heretic. The play, based on Mead's life and work, was the subject of much debate and controversy due to the very public row between the writer, Williamson, and the director Wayne Harrison over the play's production.[2] [3] [4]

Alexander has also directed a number of plays and written several screenplays, including a short film titled Memento (which was sold to Village Roadshow) which she also directed, about the emotional problems caused by the return of a father to his family, a young boy and his mother. She also directed a feature film, A Spy in the Family. Alongside this she also does voiceover work.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1975 Ride a Wild Pony (aka Born to Run or Harness Fever)Miss Hildebrand (teacher) Feature film
1977 Summerfield Jenny Abbott Feature film
1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Petra Graf Feature film
1979 The Journalist Liz Corbett Feature film
1981 The Killing of Angel Street Jessica Feature film
1981 The Coming Role unknown Short film
1982 Memento Director Short film
1983 One Last Chance Role unknown Short film
1983 A Spy in the Family Director Short film
1988 Sebastian and the Sparrow Jenny Thornbury Feature film
1988 Two Brothers Running Barbara Borstein Feature film
2010 The Clinic Ms Shepard (as Liz Alexander) Feature film
2011 The Eye of the Storm Cherry Cheeseman (as Liz Alexander) Feature film
2022 Blueback Older Dora (as Liz Alexander) Feature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1967BellbirdTV series, 1 episode
1973Seven Little AustraliansEsther WolcottTV miniseries, 10 episodes
1974Behind the LegendGuest lead role: Elizabeth KennyTV series, 1 episode: Elizabeth Kenny
1974This Love AffairTV series, episode 6: Seven-Tenths of a Second
1974-1975Silent NumberRegular role: Jean HamiltonTV series, 38 episodes
1975Ben HallRegular role: Angela MitchellTV series, 8 episodes
1976King's MenTV series, 1 episode
1978Chopper SquadFrancis CarterTV series, episode 5: Psychotic Lady
1978Case for the DefenceJeanTV series, episode 9: A Plea of Insanity
1978The Scalp MerchantTV film
1979Golden SoakRegular role: Janet GarretyTV miniseries, 6 episodes
1980; 1981Cop ShopGuest roles: Virginia Kingston / Sue McGregorTV series, 4 episodes
1981A Sporting ChanceTV series, episode 4: The Name of the Game
1984SinglesRegular role: Alison KirkTV series, 5 episodes
1984Special SquadEdithTV series, episode 8: The Wurzburg Link
1986IvanhoeVoice (as Liz Alexander)Animated TV film
1987Rafferty's RulesTV series, 1 episode
1987Willing and AbelTV series, 1 episode
1991About FaceNightingale Ward SisterTV series, 1 episode
1991G.P.Carmen GaileyTV series, 1 episode
1993Seven Deadly SinsJill PascoeTV film series, episode 2: Pride
1993Bonjour la ClasseNurseTV series, 1 episode
1993-1994Time TraxRegular role: Selma / KitTV series US/Australia, 43 episodes
1998Murder CallHilary WindsorTV series, season 2, episode 12: Something Fishy
1999Alien CargoRojean Page, Explorer DolphinTV film, US
1999The Lost WorldMrs. KruxTV series US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand, 1 episode
2000The Thing About VinceMrs. RogersTV miniseries UK, 1 episode
2002FarscapeVellaTV series, 1 episode
2003-2006All SaintsRecurring role: Dr. Alison Newell (as Liz Alexander)TV series, 23 episodes
2003Page to StagePerformance DirectorFilm documentary
2004Salem's LotAnn Norton (as Liz Alexander)TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2008; 2019Home and AwayRecurring role: Christine JonesTV series, 20 episodes
2010Lost GirlKala (as Liz Alexander)TV series, 1 episode
2011SnobsHelenaTV film
2012Fatal HoneymoonCindy Thomas (as Liz Alexander)TV film Australia/US
2013In Your DreamsMagistrate (as Liz Alexander)TV series Germany/Australia, 1 episode
2019Home and AwayJudgeTV series, 2 episodes
2020The Secrets She KeepsRecurring role: Renee Cole (as Liz Alexander)TV series, 6 episodes
2021ClickbaitRegular role: Andrea Brewer (as Liz Alexander)TV series US/Australia, 7 episodes

Television (as self)

YearTitleRoleType
1974The 16th Annual TV Week Logie AwardsHerselfTV special
1977The Making of SummerfieldHerself / Jenny AbbottTV special
1981Sammy AwardsHerselfTV special
1982The 1982 Australian Film Institute AwardsPresenter with Garry McDonaldABC TV Special
1984The Mike Walsh ShowGuest - Herself (with Wendy Hughes & Angela Punch McGregor)TV series, 1 episode
2005Secrets of Summerfield: The Making of 'SummerfieldHerself (as Liz Alexander)Video

Theatre

Director

Producer

Notes and References

  1. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0018399/ IMDB
  2. News: Sheila . Browne . Liz seeks peace from the storms of the stage . 22 May 1996 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 31 .
  3. News: David . Williamson . Some Like It Hot – But I Don't. 8 April 1996 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 .
  4. News: Angela . Bennie . Question of belief as writer, director split over Heretic. 1 April 1996 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 3 .