Elizabeth Alexander (actress)

Elizabeth Alexander (sometimes credited as Liz Alexander), is an Australian actress with a number of high profile credits in film, television and theatre.

Personal life

She was born in Adelaide, South Australia, on 21 August 1958, but now lives in Sydney, New South Wales. She attended All Hallows' School in Brisbane, Queensland. She married actor George Spartels and has two daughters. [>cite news | first=Sheila | last=Browne | coauthors= | title=Liz seeks peace from the storms of the stage | date= 22 May 1996 | publisher= | url = | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = 31 | accessdate = | language = ]

Career

Her acting career began early with a part in the series "Bellbird" in 1967. However, it was straight from graduating at NIDA (National Institute for Dramatic Arts) that she got her big break with the part of Esther Wolcott in the 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 Elizabeth. She was actually younger than actress Barbara Llewellyn, who played her stepdaughter Meg in the series, but producers felt that they both respectively suited and were 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 AFI (Australian Film Institute) awards and four Penguins, including best drama series and a Logies Award for Best New Talent for Elizabeth Alexander as the sweet-tempered Esther. The series is now available on DVD.

She currently has 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 who is played with gusto by Aussie favorite John Howard. She was not initially written as his ex-wife however, as her character appeared before Howard joined the cast. Apparently, it was the sharp onscreen dynamic between Alexander and powerhouse actor Howard in their early scenes together that made the writers decide instead of possibly introducing a new character at a later stage to play Frank Campion’s ex-wife they would use Alexander’s.

Other television credits include: "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 late Australian actor John Hargreaves, "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith", "Summerfield" with Nick Tate and John Waters, "Sebastian and the Sparrow" and "The Journalist" with Sam Neill.

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 Margaret Mead in David Williamson’s play Heretic. The play, based on the life and work of anthropologist Margaret Mead, 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. [>cite news | first=Sheila | last=Browne | coauthors= | title=Liz seeks peace from the storms of the stage | date= 22 May 1996 | publisher= | url = | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = 31 | accessdate = | language = ] [>cite news | first=David | last=Williamson | coauthors= | title=Some Like It Hot – But I Don’t| date= 8 April 1996 | publisher= | url = | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = 13 | accessdate = | language = ] [cite news | first=Angela | last=Bennie | coauthors= | title= Question of belief as writer, director split over Heretic
date= 1 April 1996 | publisher= | url = | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = 3 | accessdate = | language = ]

She 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.

Quote

"If fame just means 540 people a night then that's what it is, for the time being. Next week it could be millions of people and the week after that it could be none. That's what life is, you have to accept what you choose to do" [cite news | first=Sheila | last=Browne | coauthors= | title=Liz seeks peace from the storms of the stage | date= 22 May 1996 | publisher= | url = | work =The Sydney Morning Herald | pages = 31 | accessdate = | language = ]

Filmography

"Television"

* Home and Away (2008) (as Liz Alexander) - Christine Jones
* All Saints (2003-2006 and 2008- ) TV Series – Dr. Alison Newell
* Salem's Lot (2004) (as Liz Alexander) - Ann Norton
* Farscape (2002) TV Episode – Vella
* The Thing About Vince (2000) TV Mini-Series - Mrs. Rogers
* Hypersleep (1999) - Rojean Page
* The Lost World (1999) TV Episode - Mrs. Krux
* Murder Call (1998) TV Episode - Hilary Windsor
* Time Trax (1993-1994) TV Series - Selma
* Bonjour la Classe (1993) TV Episode - Nurse
* Seven Deadly Sins (1993) TV Mini-Series – Jill Pascoe
* Singles (1984) TV Mini-Series - Alison (Lead)
* Special Squad (1984) TV Episode – Edith
* GP TV Series – Carmen Gailey
* King's Men (1979) TV Episode
* Golden Soak (1979) TV Mini-Series - Janet Garrety (Co-Lead)
* Case for the Defence (1978) TV Episode - Jean
* Chopper Squad (1978) TV Episode - Francis Carter
* Sporting Change TV Series – (Co-Lead)
* Ben Hall (1975) TV Series
* Behind the Legend TV Mini-Series – Elizabeth Kenny
* Silent Number (1974) TV Series - Jean Hamilton
* Seven Little Australians (1973) Tv Mini-Series - Esther Wolcott
* Bellbird (1967) TV Series

"Film"

* Sebastian and the Sparrow (1988) - Jenny Thornbury
* Two Brothers Running (1988) - Barbara Borstein
* The Killing of Angel Street (1981) – Jessica Simmonds (Lead)
* One Last Chance
* The Coming (1981)
* Ride A Wild Pony (1979)
* The Journalist (1979) - Liz Corbett (Co-Lead)
* The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) - Petra Graf
* The Scalp Merchant (1978) TV Film
* Summerfield (1977) - Jenny Abbott (Co-Lead)

"Theatre"

* The Great - Catherine The Great (Sydney Theatre Company) [http://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/great] [http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/sydney/the-great--sydney-theatre-company-1534.html]
* Old Times – Kate (STC)
* Heretic– Margaret Mead (STC)
* Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Martha (STC)
* Prin – Dibbs (Marian Street Theatre)
* The Three Sisters – Irina
* Butley (Old Tote Theatre)
* Season At Sarsparilla (Old Tote Theatre Company )
* Mothers and Fathers - Julia (Twelfth Night Theatre)
* Uncle Vanya – Yelena (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* Macbeth – Lady Macduff (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* The Rivals – Julia (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* Betrayal – Emma (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* Arms and the Man – Raina (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* Godsend – Jenny (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* Maid’s Tragedy – Lead (Melbourne Theatre Company)
* She Stoops to Conquer – Kate (Nimrod Theatre Company )
* Wild Honey – Sasha (Nimrod Theatre)
* The Merchant of Venice – Portia (Nimrod Theatre)
* All’s Well That Ends Well – Diana (Nimrod Theatre)
* Tartuffe – Elmire (Nimrod Theatre)
* A Winter’s Tale – Hermione (Nimrod Theatre)

"Director"

* The Maids – with Melbourne Theatre Co.
* Shorts – with the Sydney Theatre Company
* Memento – (writer/director) short film
* A Spy in the Family – feature film

"Producer"

* Foursome (short film)

External links

*

Notes