Intelligent and luminous red-haired Lisa Harrow was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 25, 1943. A scholarship from the New Zealand Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council is what sent Lisa studying abroad. Accepted by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she later was invited to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and, in her very first season , a renowned whale-biologist by trade, moved to the United States with her son, Tim. Together, the couple share strong environmental concerns. Since her move, Lisa has been an increasingly formidable presence on the live stage with such daunting productions of "Wit", "Medea", "The Lion in Winter" and "Mary Stuart", among her vast credits.
Sam Neill and Lisa had a son, Tim Neill , together, and they now share his care/life between them.
Graduated from RADA.
An Associate Member of RADA.
She and her husband, Dr. Roger Payne , founder and president of "Ocean Alliance" and internationally recognized expert on whales, together share environmental concerns, particularly in her husbands field of study. This subsequently led to the creation of "SeaChange: Reversing the Tide", a performance piece that uses science and poetry to urge us all to make sustainable living our primary goal. Lisa and Roger also wrote and performed "Lessons From Copernicus", a blend of art and science that vividly demonstrates how mankind has gone horribly wrong. In addition, Lisa is also the author of the environmental handbook, "What Can I Do?", which has been published internationally.
(October 2001) Starred in Wit and Medea for the Pittsburgh Public Theater
