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.

Early life and education Sarah Peirse studied acting for a year at a drama school associated with Theatre Corporate in Auckland, alongside fellow actors Donogh Rees and Phillip Gordon.

Career 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.

Peirse’s first screen role was in the 1980 short film Queen Street, followed by a main role in the TV movie A Woman of Good Character, 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.

In 1989, she 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. Jackson had admired 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.

Peirse 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. That year, she also starred in the 2001 British TV movie Murder Rooms. Her further New Zealand credits include The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell, Under the Vines, the 2011 TV movie Bliss and an award-winning turn in the TV movie Aftershock. Peirse then starred as Hilda in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), as well as Dr. Gladys Bell in the American fantasy drama series Sweet Tooth (2021–2023).

Peirse's Australian TV credits include guest appearances in The Flying Doctors, Water Rats and Spirited and 1987 Australian thriller film Went Up the Hill. She featured in series such as Old School, Hunters, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Offspring, The Letdown, and Love Me.

Peirse's stage credits include a 2018 production of Melbourne Theatre Company's The Children, as well as lead roles in Cabaret, Three Sisters, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Molly Sweeney. 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 State Theatre Company of South Australia in Adelaide.

Peirse starred in season three of Foxtel legal drama The Twelve., which premiered on 4 August 2025. On 20 November 2025, Peirse was named in the cast for the ABC series Treasure & Dirt. She plays a tough town police sergeant, Pat Richter, in the series, which premiered in July 2026.

Filmography

Film 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

Television 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 movie2014 Old School Margaret McCabe 8 episodes Rake Politicians Commissioner 1 episode2016 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 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 2021–2024 Under the Vines Marissa Silverton 17 episodes 2025 The Twelve Beth Chaplin Season 3: "Cape Rock Killer", 8 episodes 2026 Treasure & Dirt Sergeant Patricia Richter TV series

Theatre

As actor YearTitleRoleNotesRef A Streetcar Named Desire Stella Mercury Theatre, Auckland 1979 Coming, Ready or Not Centrepoint Theatre, Palmerston North The Daughter-in-Law Minnie The Foursome Marie 1980 Nativity Mary Theatre Corporate, Auckland The Stationary Sixth Form Poetry Trip Molly 1981 Who's Randy 1982 Fanshen Outside In Di – Boss 1984 Gulls 1988 South Pacific Nellie Forbush Mercury Theatre, Auckland 1989 The Secret Rapture Katherine 1990 The Heidi Chronicles Susan Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1992 The Rose Tattoo Serafina Delle Rose Mercury Theatre, Auckland 1995 Dead Funny Eleanor Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 1997 Molly Sweeney Molly Sweeney Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 1998 Vita & Virginia Maidment Theatre, Auckland 2007 Enlightenment Lio Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC 2008 Madness You Can Trust RNZ National Radio, Wellington 2009 Poor Boy Ruth Prior Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC / Sydney Theatre with STC Gethsemane Meredith Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney 2011 The Business Van (Vassa) 2012 Tribes Beth Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC The Gift Sadie ATC 2013 Fury Alice Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2014 Other Desert Cities Polly Wyeth Maidment Theatre, Auckland with ATC 2014–2016 Switzerland Patricia Highsmith Sydney Opera House, Southbank Theatre, Melbourne with STC 2015 Endgame Nell STC 2016 The Golden Age Queenie Ayre Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC 2017 Mark Colvin's Kidney Mary-Ellen Field Belvoir Theatre Company, Sydney 2018 A Cheery Soul Miss Docker Sydney Opera House with STC The Children Rose Southbank Theatre, Melbourne, Sydney Opera House with MTC / STC 2023 Women of Troy Hecuba Theatre Royal, Hobart with Archipelago Productions Switzerland Patricia Highsmith ABS Waterfront, Auckland 2025 Song of First Desire Camelia / Margarita Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney

As director YearTitleRoleNotesRef1984 Top Girls Director Theatre Corporate, Auckland Wednesday to Come Director 1986 The Trojan Women Director Auckland Domain with Public Works 1987 Squatter Director Mercury Theatre, Auckland Les Liaisons Dangereuses Director 1989 Mrs Klein Director 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 1997 Master Class Director 2003 A Doll's House Director UNITEC Theatre, Auckland 2004 The Bach Director Herald Theatre, Auckland with ATC

Awards YearWorkAwardCategoryResultRef 1983 A Woman of Good Character (aka It's Lizzie to those Close) Feltex Awards Best Actress 1985 Arriving Tuesday NZ Listener GOFTA Awards Best Supporting Actress 1989 The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey NZ Film & TV Awards Best Female in a Supporting Role 1995 Heavenly Creatures NZ Film & TV Awards Best Supporting Actress Chlotrudis Awards Best Supporting Actress 1997 Molly Sweeney Green Room Awards Best Female Actor 2001 Rain Nokia New Zealand Film Awards Best Actress 2002 Fantasporto Festival Best Actress – Directors’ Week Section 2003 Chlotrudis Awards Best Supporting Actress 2009 Aftershock Qantas Film & Television Awards Best Actress – Television 2012 Bliss: The Beginning of Katherine Mansfield NZ Film & Television Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actress 2014 Switzerland Sydney Theatre Awards Bear Actress 2015 Endgame Helpmann Awards Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play 2016 The Golden Age Helpmann Awards Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play 2018 Seven Types of Ambiguity Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie 2024 Women of Troy Tasmanian Council Theatre Awards Best Performance

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