Mcleod's Daughters: cast profiles


Lisa Chappell as Claire McLeod

Claire is the daughter of Jack McLeod and his first wife, who died in childbirth giving birth to her brother. She is Drovers Run born and raised and is devoted to the property. An exceptional stockwoman, Claire is the manager and commands enormous respect from the workers at Drovers Run. However, Claire’s devotion to the property means it is all work and no play.

That is, until her half-sister Tess returns to Drovers Run and turns Claire’s narrow outlook on its head! According to Lisa Chappell, who plays Claire, ‘Claire is getting to know herself, and that’s what we’re all about, really.’


Lisa was born in Auckland in 1969. When she auditioned for McLeod's Daughters, she thought she was going for a guest role, only to find after a few callbacks that she had landed a lead role as Claire McLeod.

Lisa was excited by the challenge of playing Claire. "The physicality of the script meant I had to ride and have all the skills a girl has to have to run a farm," she said, a contrast to her early life as a city girl, born and bred in New Zealand.

Lisa appreciates that McLeod's Daughters centres around the idea that "there is a hero in everybody" and sees much of the series as a relationship piece between the two sisters. The strong scripts also attracted Lisa to the series. "Episode one made me laugh, made me cry, and as an actor, that is what I aspire to do to an audience," she said.

Chappell is a dedicated and clear thinking member of the cast. She meditates daily and appreciates the journey of her character: "Claire is getting to know herself, and that's what we're all about, really."

She has substantial credits in film, television and theatre including: Jack Brown Genius, Desperate Remedies (film), City Life, Hercules, Mysterious Island, A Skeleton in the Closet, Shortland Street, Shark in the Park and Gloss (television) and in theatre, Hamlet, Richard II, Crimes of the Heart, Wizard of Oz and Fool for Love.

Lisa completed the prestigious Journey 2000 at the Actors Centre in Sydney before joining McLeod's Daughters.

Since leaving McLeod's Daughters, Lisa has embarked on a music career. Visit her myspace site to hear songs from her album.