Sarah Peirse is a New Zealand actress. She works both on screen and stage, best known for her portrayals of two very different mothers — the kind-hearted yet stricken mother Honora Rieper in Heavenly Creatures, and the disaffected sophisticate Kate in Rain. Later roles include Hilda in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, as well as Dr. Gladys Bell in the television series Sweet Tooth.[1]

In 2018, Peirse performed in Melbourne Theatre Company's The Children.[2]

On 9 December 2024, Peirse was named in the cast for series three of Foxtel legal drama The Twelve.[3]

Selected filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role
1980 A Woman of Good Character Lizzie
1985 Sylvia Vivian Wallop
1986 My Letter to George
Arriving Tuesday Carol
1988 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey Linnet
1994 Heavenly Creatures Honora Parker Rieper
2001 Rain Kate
2002 Unconditional Love Florist
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
2024 Went Up the Hill Helen

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
2008 Aftershock Angela Flite TV movie
2010 Spirited Charlotte
2010-17 Offspring Marjorie Van Dyke Recurring role
2014 Old School Margaret McCabe 8 episodes [4]
Rake Politicians Commissioner 1 episode
2016 The Shannara Chronicles Pyria 2 episodes
Hunters Finnerman Main role
2017 Seven Types of Ambiguity Detective Staszic Main role
2017-19 The Letdown Verity 8 episodes [5][6]
2020 Stateless Genevieve Main role
2021 Sweet Tooth Dr. Gladys Bell 3 episodes
2021-24 Under the Vines Marissa 17 episodes
2021-23 Love Me Christine Mathieson 8 episodes [7]
2025 The Twelve TV series

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
2023 Switzerland ABS Waterfront [8]
2018 A Cheery Soul Miss Docker Sydney Theatre Co [9]
The Children Patricia Highsmith Melbourne Theatre Co [2]
2012 The Gift Auckland Theatre Co [10]

References

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  1. ^ "Sarah Peirse". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b Harford, Sonia (18 January 2018). "Sarah Peirse in MTC's The Children, a nightmare vision of the 'quake' to come". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  3. ^ Writer, Staff (8 December 2024). "Danielle Cormack, Eryn Jean Norvill, Sarah Peirse join Sam Neill in 'The Twelve: Cape Rock Killer'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. ^ Knox, David (30 May 2013). "ABC announces new crime series, Old School. | TV Tonight". TVtonight.com.au.
  5. ^ Knox, David (25 October 2018). "Cameras roll on season 2 of the Letdown | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.au.
  6. ^ Knox, David (16 June 2017). "Cameras roll on the Letdown series for ABC, Netflix. | TV Tonight". TVTonight.com.au.
  7. ^ Knox, David (15 August 2021). "Love Me, new local drama for Binge, Foxtel. | TV Tonight". TVtonight.com.au.
  8. ^ Writer, Staff. "Actress Sarah Peirse chats about iconic New Zealand films to 'Switzerland' | Articles". www.rova.nz. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  9. ^ Writer, Staff. "★★★★☆ A Cheery Soul (Sydney Theatre Company)". Limelight. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Theatre: The Gift - Entertainment News". NZ Herald. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
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