Sandra Colleen (Waites) Brosnan (1948 - 1991)

Born 15 Dec 1948 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Diarmid Harris — married 1970 (to 1978) in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

Died 28 Dec 1991 at age 43 in Los Angeles, Los Angles County, California, United States

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Biography

Sandra (Waites) Brosnan is Notable.

Cassandra Harris was born on 15th December 1948 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia as Sandra Colleen Waites. ^[1][2] She was a daughter of Walter Waites and Roma Atkinson. Her mother married again when Sandra was three years of age.

As Sandra Gleeson (her stepfather's name), Cassandra enrolled in 1961, aged twelve years, at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney. She went on to perform in the Sydney stage production of Boeing Boeing (1964-65). ^[1]

Aged fifteen years, Sandra married William Eric Firth (c1940-) in Sydney's northern suburbs on 24th February 1964 (they were divorced before 1970). ^[3] They divorced before 1970.

Sandra (Waites) Brosnan migrated from New South Wales to California, United States.

Sandra moved to Hollywood and became a film and television actress, adopting the stage name of Cassandra Harris; best known as Bond girl Countess Lisl von Schlaf in For Your Eyes Only (1981). ^[1] After moving to America, she married, in 1970, younger brother of Irish-born actor Richard Harris, Dermot Harris (they divorced in 1978), and on December 27, 1980 Pierce Brosnan.

Cassandra had three children: ^[2]

1. Charlotte Harris (1971-2013), died of ovarian cancer aged 42 years
2. Christopher Harris (1973-)
3. Sean Brosnan (1983-)

Pierce adopted Charlotte and Christopher after their father died in 1986. ^[2]

It was Cassandra who introduced Pierce to Albert Broccoli during filming of For Your Eyes Only. ^[2] Of course, Pierce went on to make four 007 films as James Bond in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Cassandra retired from acting to raise her three children and support Pierce in his budding career that took off with Remington Steele (1982-87) and the Jules Verne-inspired mini-series Around the World in Eighty Days (1989).

Cassandra died of ovarian cancer on December 28, 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA (as had her mother at a similar age). She had just turned 43 years of age a fortnight earlier and celebrated their eleventh wedding anniversary the previous day. ^[1] Charlotte later died of the same dreadful disease at 42 years of age. ^[2]

Stage productions (incomplete)

• 1964-65, Boeing-Boeing

Filmography

Films: ^[2]

• 1978, Cassandra in The Greek Tycoon
• 1980, Mrs Lloyd Palmer, in Rough Cut
• 1981, Countess Lisl von Schlaf, in For Your Eyes Only

Television series: ^[2]

• 1977, Sares, in Space: 1999 tv series episode 'Devil's Planet'
• 1978, Ismena, in Shadows tv series episode 'The Boy Merlin'
• 1979, Melissa, in Dick Barton: Special Agent four tv episodes
• 1980, Trudi Engel, in Enemy at the Door tv episode ' The Education of Nils Borg'
• 1982-85, Felicia / Anna Simpson, in Remington Steele four tv episodes

Notes

• Dates in the bio have been shown by the style relevant to the two countries in which Cassandra lived.
• The commencement of Cassandra's film and television career, in 1977, may co-incide with her separation from Richard Harris.
• Dates of birth have been sighted on other bios as 1942 and 1948. The latter fits with the age entering NIDA, however means that she was just fifteen marrying Firth. The same difference has been noted regarding her age at death, both 43 and 49 having been sighted.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Wikipedia: Cassandra Harris
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} IMDb: Cassandra Harris; accessed 14 Nov 2020
3. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #17126/1964; accessed 15 Nov 2020

See also

• Wikidata: Item Q455177, en:Wikipedia