Miranda Harcourthas received the honor of being named a Dame Companion of theNew ZealandOrder of Merit for her contributions to the screen industry and theatre. Her reaction to receiving such recognition was the same as when her mother, Dame Kate Harcourt, was honored for her work in the theatre back in 1995. This information comes courtesy ofStuff.
“You go, ‘surely this is a joke?’ And then you go, ‘holy hell, this is a responsibility for the future’.”
For the past fifty-eight years, Dame Miranda Harcourt has served in many fields as an actor, director, and acting coach. Her very first role was at the age of two. Her best-known role was Gemma inGloss; aniconic ’80s show about the rich and fashionable. Her three children, Peter, Thomasin, and Davida McKenzie, are also actors.
After she decided to step “into the shadows behind the camera” by becoming an acting coach, she’s become quite sought after in the position. Some of the actors that she’s worked with include Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, andReese Witherspoon. The move was one that Harcourt considers one of her great life choices and something that she’s proud of. Besides her passion for the industry, becoming an acting coach was what made her accept becoming a dame.
“I really have loved my journey as a support person, whether it’s the top of the tree in Hollywood or the West End or working for the BBC. I work all over the world at a very high level, but in the very next hour, I will be working with somebody who’s stepping into the light for the very first time. I feel like my job is to lift them up and be an advocate for emerging careers, just as much as I support people at the top of the tree.”
Harcourt is also an ambassador for Women’s Refuge. Another reason Harcourt accepted becoming a dame was that she thought it would help her raise awareness regarding violence against women. Especially at a time like New Year, when domestic violence is unfortunately high.
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More On the Rest of the Family
A trait that the whole Harcourt-McKenzie family shares, “from the 16-year-old – youngest daughter Davida – to the 95-year-old – Dame Kate,” is a strong social consciousness driven by story. According to Dame Miranda Harcourt, something that can be used to lift an actor’s performance is their passion for telling the story.
“That’s where I get my joy.”
Harcourt and Thomasin McKenzie have acted alongside each other in several projects. Such as inThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, where they both played residents of Lake-town. They also played Madeline Trent/Susan Rolleston and Pixie Hannah, respectively, inShortland Street. Additionally, they acted in the web seriesLucy Lewis Can’t Lose, where Dame Kate Harcourt also made a cameo appearance during an episode.
The relationship that the two dames have with each other can be seen in the short filmNo Acting in It, which was directed by Roberto Nascimento. The film was written by Dame Kate and Dame Miranda in addition to the latter’s husband, writer, director, and producer Stuart McKenzie. According to Nascimento’swebsite,No Acting in Itis currently doing its festival run.
