Harold Wayne Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. The actor was offered the role by the show's creator and executive producer Reg Watson. Smith made his first screen appearance as Harold during the episode broadcast on 30 January 1987. He departed in September 1991, but returned five years later in October 1996. Harold remained on screen for over twelve years, making him one of the longest-running characters in the show's history.
Smith announced his departure from Neighbours in August 2008. Following a cancer storyline, Harold made his final appearance on 27 February 2009. In December 2010, Smith revealed that he would be reprising his role and Harold returned on 9 May 2011. During his brief return stint, Harold married Carolyn Johnstone (Paula Duncan), a storyline that was suggested by Smith. The character of Harold has been well received by critics and Smith earned various award nominations for his performance, including the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Logie Award. Harold returned again in February 2015, ahead of the show's 30th anniversary. Smith reprised his role for the show's finale and began filming in February 2022. Harold returned to the role as part of the series' continuation, via Amazon Freevee, on 18 September 2023 Harold returned but later departed again 10 October 2023.
Casting
The show's creator and then executive producer Reg Watson offered Ian Smith the role of Harold, following the end of his television drama Prisoner, with which Smith had been a script editor and associate producer. After agreeing to the role, Smith also asked if he could write for the show too. Smith was only supposed to be in Neighbours for five weeks, but a couple of weeks after he had finished filming, Smith was asked back. Smith admitted that he was not prepared for how popular the show would become, saying "I naively thought I was signing on for a frothy little soap that would come and go as most of them do. I had no inkling of the international success that lay in store for Neighbours." Comedian Peter Moon revealed in 2009 that he had originally auditioned for the role of Harold. Moon said "Ian Smith beat me to it, so it is kind of weird thinking about the life I could have had. When I auditioned, I went into wardrobe and they gave me a pair of shoes to wear that had Harold written on them". Moon was eventually given a role with the soap twenty years later.
Development
Characterisation
In his fictional backstory, Harold was a stock and station agent, who married a woman called Mavis. The couple had two children, David (Kevin Harrington) and Kerry (Linda Hartley-Clark). After Mavis's death, Harold was left to cope with his teenage children alone. He had a close relationship with David, but Kerry rebelled against Harold's conservative ways and she left to travel the world. David later moved to Adelaide.
Harold is described as being "indecisive, considerate, stuffy and reserved." Harold is a Christian and never misses church on Sunday, he was also once an "enthusiastic" Scout leader. Due to his ways, Harold would not live with Madge Ramsay (Anne Charleston) until they were married. Virgin Media said Harold is "prim and proper" and "an old-fashioned fuddy-duddy." They also state he is the complete opposite of Madge and add he is "famed for his vegetarian ways, tee-total habits and fastidiousness and moralising" Harold's hobbies include playing the tuba, giving his time to the Salvation Army and birdwatching. Smith hated playing the tuba and wished the producers would have given Harold a mouth organ instead. He said "I think they thought, 'Here's a big fat actor, let's give him a big fat instrument. That'll be funny!'." Harold also briefly has a comedic alter ego named "Afro Harold." Smith told Inside Soap in 1999 that Harold's "pessimism and pontificating" really got to him, but he agreed with Harold's moral outlook on life.
In 2003, Harold had a stroke and his personality changed. He left the Salvation Army, became a "peeping tom", started drinking alcohol and he pinched Izzy Hoyland's (Natalie Bassingthwaighte) bottom. Smith researched strokes and how they affect a person's psyche after becoming concerned that Harold's behaviour would stretch his character's credibility too much. Harold later recovered and returned to his previous ways. Network Ten dubbed Harold the "undisputed patriarch of Erinsborough" and the heart and soul of the community.