Susannah Harker is an English actress who has been in the movie, television, and theater industry for more than three decades. Harker knew right from an early age that she wanted to be an actress, so she set her mind to pursue this dream right after her high school days.
She has featured in popular TV series such as House of Cards, Pride and Prejudice, Heat of the Sun, and a host of other roles cutting across the stage and screen. It is a filmography worthy of a woman whose family has spent decades in the movie industry.
Susannah Harker Comes from a Family of Actors
Susannah Harker was named Susannah Owens at birth on April 26, 1965, in London, England. Her mother is Polly Adams and her father, Richard Owens. They are both devout Catholics, and they raised their daughter in the faith, including her sisters, Caroline and Nelly Harker.
Susannah got her education in a convent boarding school which was run entirely by reverend sisters in Sussex County and then proceeded to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama in North London.
She comes from a long lineage of show business practitioners. Her great grandfather Joseph Harker was an artist who specialized in theatrical set designing. Susannah’s father, Richard Owens, was an actor who featured in movies such as The Mayor of Casterbridge and more recently, in The Avengers.
Her mother, Polly Adams, was also an actress who featured in popular television series such as Just William. Her sisters, Caroline and Nelly Harker are also actresses. The former has appeared in works like Murder in Suburbia and Coronation Street.
Susanna’s parents were her first influencers; it is believed that they must have encouraged her to pursue an acting career right from a very young age.
A Look at The Screen Roles She Has Played
She got her first film role in 1985 when she appeared in Burke & Wills, and then in 1988; she made her TV debut with appearances in The Fear and Troubles. Those early roles quickly resulted in more frequent and significant roles. She played Suzette in A Dry White Season, and Mattie Storin in the iconic show, House of Cards.
As the years went by, Susannah Harker grew her filmography with projects like Chancer, The Crucifer of Blood, Pride and Prejudice, and Ultraviolet. Since making her debut in the late 80s, she has appeared in multiple works in each decade, except for the 2010s.
Since the 2010s, Susannah has had limited appearances onscreen. She appeared in only two films, A Caribbean Dream and Notes from the Underground between 2010 and 2020. On TV, Harker has four credits, all as a guest star. The actress’ last onscreen appearance in the 2010s came in 2017, in an episode of Grantchester.
Regardless of her recent sparse appearances on screen, Susannah Harker has more than 35 film and TV credits to her name. She also has an award nomination for Best Actress from the BAFTA TV Awards. She got the nomination for her role as Mattie Storin in House of Cards.
Susannah Is a Prolific Stage Actress
One of the hallmarks of British actors and actresses is their theatre works. In that category, Susannah does not lack either. She has more than thirteen known stage play appearances to her name. Her first serious project was in 1989 when she played Beth Henley in The Debutante Ball.
She followed the appearance with several in 1992. She Stoops to Conquer, The Importance of Being Earnest, and The Wind in the Willows, are just some of the plays she performed between 1992 and 1993.
Her most recent stage play was in 2014. She appeared in Gate Theatre’s Dublin production of The Vortex. Before that, she appeared in a London production of Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party.
She Might Be Prioritizing Stage Work Over Onscreen Roles
Despite becoming a national star through her work on Pride and Prejudice, Susannah Harker has continued to maintain a quiet life. While it is easy to presume she has retired due to her prolonged absence from our screens, the actress is yet to retire from the profession, at least formally.
One assumption that seems safe is that she’s spending more time on stage than in front of the camera. The assumption agrees with her filmography which has more stage work in recent years compared to her onscreen roles. However, one thing is for sure; whatever the case might be, we haven’t seen the last of Susannah Harker yet.
See Also: Paz Vega – Bio, Facts, Movies, TV Shows and Family of The Spanish Actress
Susannah Harker Had an 11-Year Marriage with Iain Glen
Susannah Harker’s first and only marriage so far was to fellow actor, Iain Glen. Glen was born on June 24, 1961, in Edinburg, Scotland. Some will remember him from the Resident Evil movies. But a lot more people will remember him for playing the role of Ser Jorah Mormont in the HBO fantasy television series, Game of Thrones.
Iain met Susannah on the set of the movie, The Fear, in 1992. Shortly after meeting and becoming friends, they started dating, and this culminated in their marriage in 1993. Susannah and Iain had their first and only child in 1994, a son named Finlay Glen.
The marriage of the couple was brought to an abrupt end in 2004 when they sought that the court dissolves their union. They finalized their divorce in the same year.
Though reasons for their divorce were not readily made known to the public, Iain seemed distraught that his marriage to the actress ended. Though he believes that they have had their history together in the past, he and Susannah did not want things to end on a sour note between them. They have avoided the bitterness and hate that sometimes comes with divorce and have agreed to remain good friends to raise their son together in a very loving environment.
Her Two-year Relationship with Paul McGann Started On-Set
Susannah Harker worked in a theater play in 2003 titled The Little Black Book. While on set, she met the popular actor Paul McGann, and they became friends. Paul McGann is a British movie, television, and theater actor. He has starred in a lot of popular films and television series such as The Monocled Mutineer and Withnail and I. His most famous work is his role as the 8th reincarnation of Doctor Who in the globally popular British television series of the same title.
Paparazzi caught Susannah and Paul enjoying very intimate dinners and date nights at exquisite restaurants after she formalized her divorce from Iain. They also saw the couple in each other’s company at many events in London, and once caught the two at the prestigious Hotel Lucarno in Rome, Italy. Gossip rumors suggested they lodged there over the weekend.
At the time Susannah and Paul were together, Paul was in an estranged relationship with his wife of 15 years, Annie Milner. She is the mother of his two sons: Joseph McGann (b. 1998) and Jake McGann (b.1990). Paul and Annie were separated at the time, but neither of them had instituted divorce proceedings against the other.
Susannah and Paul dated for about two years, from 2006 to 2008, before calling it quits. Why they parted ways is best known to them.
