Veronica Harper (nee Marcus, adopted as a Harper) is a character on ONtv's Harpers Falls and Harpers Falls: New Beginnings. She was originally played by Australian actress Fiona Spence, who was best known for her role of acidic Prison guard Vera Bennett on Prisoner and as motherly Celia Stewart on Home and Away. When the role of Adrienne, her spouse, was recast with Maree Cheatham, and was made a comic relief character, Veronica was too made into a comic relief role. When Fiona Spence finally left the show and retired, the role was recast with UK actress Samantha Bond, best known for her role of Lady Rosamond Painswick on the recently completed series, Downton Abbey.
"I add Lady Rosamond's dignity and grace, and add a bit of playing the straight man to Adrienne's battiness," Samantha smiled, "and I think the duo plays off one another well."
The face of the Harper family[]
Veronica was, for many years, a mystery. She was born in Boston, and her last name was Marcus, but aside from that, nothing was really known about her.
For a long time, she worked at the Law Enforcement Center in Harpers Falls, as a guard. She could be stern inside the jail, almost the point of unyielding, but outside of the prison, she was a kind as can be. She loves her family, especially the adopted family she is in. She was adopted by the Harper family when she was a teenager and has been a part of it for sometime.
She belongs with the Harpers and they belong with her. To her, family is more important than anything. After a long time of working in corrections, a job she alternately loved and hated, she finally became an executive at Harper Industries. She works with acquisitions and enjoys her job, which puts her leadership experience and mixes it with teaching new employees the ropes on how to work in business.
To help her in her new role, she took business courses at Harvard and passed through it with flying colors. There is nothing that Veronica can't do.
During the summers, she has taken her niece, Violet Harper under her wing, to help her learn the insides and outs of the family corporation. With her father's approval, Veronica has extended an invite to Violet to shadow with her at the office, and when she turns 16, Violet will become an employee of Harper Industries full time.
During a committee meeting to help re-elect harper family ally, Marla Stanton to the city council, she had met and became smitten with Adrienne Flynn herself a family friend. The two began to date and despite their may-december romance, the two fell in love. They then took a chance and got married. Adrienne moved to Boston full time then, and moved in with Veronica. They are happy and very much in love.
When it comes to society functions, Adrienne and Veronica are the two members of the Harper family who are often represented. This has dismayed her conniving sister, Erica but the tough-minded Adrienne, not known for taking guff from Erica, put her in her place, and told her to be civil.