Ian Smith (actor)

Ian Smith (born 19 June 1938) is a retired Australian actor, television producer and screenwriter.

Smith appeared in roles for Crawford Productions, before taking a regular role in rural series Bellbird, and then working as a producer, screenwriter and actor on the cult series Prisoner. He starred in the soap opera Neighbours as Harold Bishop from 1987 when the series was taken over by Network Ten until 1991. He returned to the role in 1996 and continued as a series regular until 2009, with subsequent guest appearances in 2011, 2015 and 2022.

In 2023, Smith said he was pleased to have been invited to make guest appearances on Neighbours, but wished to retire eventually. On 2 December 2024, it was announced that he would depart Neighbours again after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Smith was born to Peggy Kline in 1938 and first appeared in theatre as a child in 1943 and 1944, resuming his career in the late 1950s.

Smith having been a theatre performer of some years started appearing in television roles in the late 1960s with guesting roles in drama series for Crawford Productions, in police dramas Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police and Bluey.

After having appeared in numerous guest parts in Division 4. he got his major break gaining a regular role in television serial Bellbird; after this he made a guest appearance in serial The Box in 1975.

Smith subsequently worked at Reg Grundy Productions with guest parts in there TV drama Glenview High and Chopper Squad

Smith worked concurrently behind the scenes with Grundy's as associate producer and script editor of cult serial Prisoner, but also had a semi-regular role in the series as head of the Corrections Department, Ted Douglas.