Sara Wiseman is a New Zealand actress, best known for her roles as Dr. Nicky Somerville in the television series Mercy Peak (2001–2004), Annabelle Willis in The Cult (2009), and Carolyn Bligh in A Place to Call Home (2013–2018).

Early life and education

Sara Wiseman was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She completed a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland.

Career

Wiseman has worked on both stage and screen, and has also worked as a presenter and voiceover artist. She works both in NZ and Australia. Beginning her career with low-profile TV roles in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1996 and 1999), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) and Jackson's Wharf (2000). Wiseman made her first high-profile television appearance in the drama series Street Legal as Louise Jarvis in 2000, before in 2001 getting the role of Dr. Nicky Sommerville in the New Zealand TV series Mercy Peak. Wiseman starred in Mercy Peak until 2002, when she left the cast after the tenth episode of the second series. Following the conclusion of her role in the show, Wiseman went on to star in Atomic Twister, Serial Killers, and Matuka. Wiseman also appeared in the movie Jinx Sister in 2008, for which she garnered her third New Zealand Film and Television Awards nomination under the category of "Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role". Following this she went had recurring roles in television series such as Outrageous Fortune (2007–2008), Shortland Street (2011), Crownies (2011), and The Almighty Johnsons (2011–2012). She also appeared in the short-lived drama series The Cult as Annabelle Willis in 2009. Wiseman guest starred on The Doctor Blake Mysteries as Olivia Goldsmith and as Caitlin Farquhar in Rake during 2015 and 2016 respectively. She also performed in the films The Insatiable Moon (2010), Love Birds (2011), Nerve (2013), Venus and Mars (2015) and Human Traces (2017). During 2013, Wiseman appeared for the first time as recurring character Carolyn Bligh, in the Australian romantic drama series A Place to Call Home. Following a successful first season, the show was renewed for a second season, in which Wiseman's character was upgraded to a main character. Wiseman's storylines whilst on the show have included relevant world issues such as sexual assault, which the show explored during its third season when Wiseman's character was sexually assaulted by someone she had trusted, on the subject Wiseman has stated that the storyline was a "poignant and challenging subject matter to tackle". When the fourth season was due to air in 2016, Wiseman stated that there was "a darker edge" to the upcoming series. The fifth series of the show aired in 2017, and the sixth, and final series, aired in 2018. Wiseman later appeared on Bevan Lee's Seven Network series Between Two Worlds with Hermione Norris, Aaron Jeffery and Alex Cubis. She joined the cast of CBBC drama Mystic in 2021. She also played Tanya Reed in series 3 of Harrow (2021). In August 2022, Wiseman was cast in a role in the film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Wes Ball for 20th Century Studios. In 2024 she had parts in two Australian drama series: the Foxtel/Binge series High Country, and the Netflix series Territory, set on a cattle station in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Other activities

Wiseman co-founded and is a board member and tutor at NZ acting school; The Actors Program.

Accolades

Wiseman has been nominated for film and television awards multiple times and in 2011 she won Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film at the Aotearoa Film and Television awards for her role in Matariki. That year she was also a finalist for Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film for her role in The Insatiable Moon. She won Best Actress for playing Kate Sheppard in What Really Happened: The Women's Vote at the NZ Television Awards in 2012. For her role in Mercy Peak, Wiseman garnered several nominations at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards under the category "Best Actress" in 2002 In 2005 Wiseman was nominated for the "Television - Best Performance By an Actress" award at the New Zealand Screen Award. During 2012, Wiseman won her first-ever New Zealand Film and TV Award for her starring role in the TV movie Votes For Women: What Really Happened?.

Personal life

Wiseman was married to actor Craig Hall for sixteen years, before splitting in 2023. She publicly came out as bisexual in 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television