Sara Wiseman
Sara Wiseman is a New Zealand actress, best known for her roles as Dr. Nicky Somerville in the television series Mercy Peak, Annabelle Willis in The Cult, and Carolyn Bligh in A [Place to Call Home (TV series)|A Place to Call Home].
Career
Wiseman has worked on both stage and screen, and has also worked as a presenter and voiceover artist.Beginning her career with low-profile TV roles in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess and Jackson's Wharf. In 2001, Wiseman was cast in the role of Dr. Nicky Sommerville in the New Zealand TV series Mercy Peak. Wiseman starred in Mercy Peak until 2002.
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, Shortland Street and Crownies.
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.
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. In January 2026, Wiseman was announced as a returning member of the cast for the second series of ''High Country.''
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.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.