Richard Harris

Biography

Richard St John Harris (October 1, 1930 – October 25, 2002) was an Irish actor and singer who became a prominent figure of the British New Wave. Born in Limerick, Ireland, he initially pursued a career in rugby, but his athletic ambitions were cut short by tuberculosis. He then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and began his stage career in 1956 with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop.

Acting Career

Harris gained international stardom with his role as a rebellious rugby player in "This Sporting Life" (1963), which earned him a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination. Throughout the 1960s, he starred in films such as Michelangelo Antonioni's "Red Desert" (1964) and played King Arthur in the film adaptation of the musical "Camelot" (1967), for which he won a Golden Globe Award. His other notable films from this era include "The Guns of Navarone" (1961) and "Major Dundee" (1965).

His career continued with diverse roles, including the lead in "A Man Called Horse" (1970) and Oliver Cromwell in "Cromwell" (1970). After a period of less prominent roles in the 1970s and 1980s, partly due to his well-known off-screen indulgences, Harris made a powerful comeback with "The Field" (1990), earning his second Academy Award nomination. In his later years, he gained widespread fame among a new generation for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), the latter being his final film role.

Notable Film Roles

• Frank Machin in This Sporting Life (1963)
• King Arthur in Camelot (1967)
• John Morgan in A Man Called Horse (1970)
• 'Bull' McCabe in The Field (1990)
• English Bob in Unforgiven (1992)
• Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (2000)
• Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Singing Career

Following his role in "Camelot," Harris embarked on a successful singing career. He is most famous for his 1968 recording of Jimmy Webb's song "MacArthur Park," which became an international hit, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. His debut album, "A Tramp Shining," also written by Webb, was critically praised. He released several other albums, blending his acting and singing talents.

Personal Life

Harris was married twice, first to Elizabeth Rees-Williams from 1957 to 1969, with whom he had three sons: Damian, Jared, and Jamie, all of whom also entered the film industry. His second marriage was to American actress Ann Turkel from 1974 to 1982. Harris was a member of the Knights of Malta. He passed away from Hodgkin's disease in London on October 25, 2002, at the age of 72.