Ian Smith (actor)

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Ian Smith
Born	June 19, 1938 (1938-06-19) (age 69) Melbourne, Australia
Occupation	Television actor
Years active	1966 - present

For other persons named Ian Smith, see Ian Smith (disambiguation).

Ian Smith (born June 19, 1938) is an Australian soap opera character actor and television scriptwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in Network Ten's long running serial Neighbours.

Smith had previously acted in guest roles in drama series such as the Crawford Productions police dramas Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police, and in regular or recurring roles in long-running Australian television serials Bellbird and Prisoner. Smith was also script editor of Prisoner for most of its eight-year run. He became Associate Producer of Prisoner late in its run.

Smith became best known through his portrayal of Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours from 1987 to 1991 and then from 1996 before switching to recurring status in 2008, becoming its longest serving character.

Smith was 54 when his mother Connie Smith, realising she had twenty-four hours to live, finally admitted to him that he had been adopted. After her death, Smith went in search of his natural mother Peg Kline, whom he finally found. According to Kline's story, Smith was conceived when she was thirteen, the product of rape by her uncle, and was put up for adoption. Kline eventually married and had two children from this marriage. She never told anyone besides her husband about her first son until she was contacted by Smith via a letter.

She contacted his wife Gail Smith, who mentioned that her son was a prominent Neighbours actor, to which Kline replied, "I've never seen Neighbours in my life". Smith and Kline were reunited and he has built a strong relationship with his mother and two half-brothers, although Smith says that he doesn't feel a mother–son relationship. He calls Kline "one of my best friends". Peg Kline died in May 2005 after a battle with cancer.

Smith first told the story to the public in an exclusive interview on the biographical documentary series Australian Story on March 14, 2005.

Smith announced his retirement as a full-time member of the Neighbours cast in November 2007, but added that he would be returning to make several guest appearances during 2008.