ACTOR · BORN 1930 · DIED 2002
Richard Harris
- Born
- 1 October 1930
- Died
- 25 October 2002
- Known for
- Unforgiven (1992), The Crown (2016), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Wild Geese (1978)
57 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Richard Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an actor best known for Unforgiven, The Crown and Mutiny on the Bounty.
57 Interesting Facts About Richard Harris
Interesting Facts (7)
- #001
The first Harry Potter film series cast member to die. Fittingly, Harris was also the first person to appear onscreen (at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)).
- #002
On 30 September 2006, Manuel Di Lucia, of Kilkee, County Clare, a longtime friend, organised the placement in Kilkee of a bronze life-size statue of Richard Harris. It shows Harris at the age of eighteen playing squash. The sculptor was Seamus Connolly and the work was unveiled by Russell Crowe. Harris was an accomplished squash player, winning the Tivoli Cup in Kilkee four years in a row from 1948 to 1951, a record unsurpassed to this day.
- #003
Harris paid £75,000 for William Burges' Tower House in Holland Park in 1968, after discovering that Liberace had arranged to buy the house but not yet put down a deposit. Harris employed the original decorators, Campbell Smith & Company Ltd. to carry out extensive restoration work on the interior.
- #004
He turned down Michael Caine's roles in The Ipcress File (1965) and Alfie (1966). He turned down the former in favour of Caprice (1967), a film he despised.
- #005
While still a student, he rented the tiny "off-West End" Irving Theatre in London and directed his own production of Clifford Odets' "Winter Journey (The Country Girl)". The critics approved, but the production used up all his savings. Harris claimed that he was forced to sleep in a coal cellar for six weeks, but he actually stayed with some relatives in London.
- #006
After filming for Camelot (1967) was finished, he was asked about the whereabouts of the crown of his character King Arthur. He said that he didn't know. Later, he did a photoshoot for Time magazine while wearing that crown.
- #007
In his young days won Rugbt Union Munster Cup Medal and if he'd continued playing could well have played for Ireland.
Production Story (14)
- #008
His casting as Oliver Cromwell in Cromwell (1970) was deemed odd, as Harris was patriotic Irish hellraiser and Cromwell was a puritan whose military campaign in Ireland was called genocidal or near-genocidal. Harris took the role because the money was too good to pass up. In interviews he said he admired Cromwell for making Britain more democratic.
- #009
Producers were initially reluctant to cast him as King Arthur in Camelot (1967) due to his limited singing ability. Harris was cast after Richard Burton, who had played the part on Broadway in 1961, demanded too much money. Harris insisted on doing his own singing live and later enjoyed a successful pop career, touring America in 1972.
Richard Harris: King ArthurImage: Wikimedia Commons · William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, CC BY-SA 2.0 - #010
He was originally cast in Yves Montand's role in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), but quit due to disagreements with Barbra Streisand.
- #011
He was originally cast in Play Dirty (1969), but he quit after a furious row with producer Harry Saltzman after his role was reduced. Nigel Davenport replaced him.
- #012
He was replaced by Donald Sutherland as IRA terrorist Liam Devlin in The Eagle Has Landed (1976) after it was discovered that he had attended a fundraiser for the Provisional IRA in the US.
- #013
He was originally cast as Ebeneezer Scrooge in Scrooge (1970), but dropped out when after he was forced to take over the direction of The Hero (1970) in Israel. Albert Finney replaced him.
- #014
He turned down Michael Caine's roles in The Ipcress File (1965) and Alfie (1966). He turned down the former in favour of Caprice (1967), a film he despised.
- #015
Concerning his role as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, Harris had stated that he did not intend to take the part at first, since he knew it was a 'multi-film deal' and that his health was in decline, but he relented and accepted it because his 11-year-old granddaughter threatened never to speak to him again if he did not take it.
- #016
Following his death, many of his family members wanted friend Peter O'Toole to take the role of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
- #017
Turned down the role of Commodus in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), then went on to play Commodus' father Marcus Aurelius (who dies at his son's hands) in Gladiator (2000).
- #018
He was originally cast in Yves Montand's role in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), but quit due to disagreements with Barbra Streisand.
- #019
He was originally cast in Play Dirty (1969), but he quit after a furious row with producer Harry Saltzman after his role was reduced. Nigel Davenport replaced him.
- #020
He was originally cast as Roger "Big X" Bartlett in The Great Escape (1963), but when his part was reduced, he dropped out in order to star in This Sporting Life (1963).
- #021
He was originally cast as Ebeneezer Scrooge in Scrooge (1970), but dropped out when after he was forced to take over the direction of The Hero (1970) in Israel. Albert Finney replaced him.
Behind the Scenes (4)
- #022
After filming for Camelot (1967) was finished, he was asked about the whereabouts of the crown of his character King Arthur. He said that he didn't know. Later, he did a photoshoot for Time magazine while wearing that crown.
- #023
In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), he told a story about when he was a young actor playing Seyton in a theatrical production of "Macbeth." The lead actor was a real jerk to him, making constant demeaning references to Harris' Irish heritage. On opening night Harris couldn't take it anymore. In Act V, Macbeth turns to him and says, "Wherefore was that cry?" Harris was supposed to reply, "The queen, my lord, is dead," after which Macbeth goes into his famous soliloquy about "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow." Instead, Harris decided instead to say, "Oh, don't worry. She's fine. She'll be up and about in ten minutes." He ruined the performance and was promptly fired.
- #024
He had such a miserable time making Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) that he refused to attend the premiere. He described the shoot as "nightmarish" and called the film "a total fucking disaster".
- #025
Well known for being a "method actor", he was once told that he would play the role of a filthy character, and so he went for a long time without bathing to fit in to the character better, much to the chagrin of his co-stars, who claimed that they could smell him coming a long way away.
Characters & Cast (3)
- #026
Despite his initial reluctance to accept the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films (he only agreed to do so at the urging of his granddaughter) he was determined not to let his battle with Hodgkin's disease get in the way of him playing the role. During post-production on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), producer David Heyman visited Harris in the hospital. By this point Harris' illness had progressed to the point where he had become very gaunt and could speak in barely more than a whisper, yet he begged the producer not to recast the role. Ultimately, however, the role had to be recast, and Harris passed away a few weeks later.
- #027
His casting as Oliver Cromwell in Cromwell (1970) was deemed odd, as Harris was patriotic Irish hellraiser and Cromwell was a puritan whose military campaign in Ireland was called genocidal or near-genocidal. Harris took the role because the money was too good to pass up. In interviews he said he admired Cromwell for making Britain more democratic.
- #028
The first Harry Potter film series cast member to die. Fittingly, Harris was also the first person to appear onscreen (at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)).
Career & Awards (11)
- #029
On 30 September 2006, Manuel Di Lucia, of Kilkee, County Clare, a longtime friend, organised the placement in Kilkee of a bronze life-size statue of Richard Harris. It shows Harris at the age of eighteen playing squash. The sculptor was Seamus Connolly and the work was unveiled by Russell Crowe. Harris was an accomplished squash player, winning the Tivoli Cup in Kilkee four years in a row from 1948 to 1951, a record unsurpassed to this day.
- #030
In an interview with the Toronto Star in 2001, Harris expressed his concern that his association with the Harry Potter films would outshine the rest of his career. He explained, "Because, you see, I don't just want to be remembered for being in those bloody films, and I'm afraid that's what's going to happen to me.".
- #031
While still a student, he rented the tiny "off-West End" Irving Theatre in London and directed his own production of Clifford Odets' "Winter Journey (The Country Girl)". The critics approved, but the production used up all his savings. Harris claimed that he was forced to sleep in a coal cellar for six weeks, but he actually stayed with some relatives in London.
- #032
Harris was the very first person to record songwriter Jimmy Webb's "Macarthur Park" and scored a top ten hit in both the U.S. and U.K with his rendition in 1968.
- #033
In his youth he was a fan of Marlon Brando and could imitate or parody his performance in On the Waterfront (1954) at the drop of a hat. However, he did not get along with Brando while filming Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) and blamed the American star's on-set behavior for the film going over budget and over schedule. During the 1960s he often criticized Brando's eccentric movie choices in interviews.
- #034
He hated making Caprice (1967) with Doris Day so much that he never watched the film. Once when he was on a flight, he noticed that it was the in-flight movie and immediately got off the plane.
- #035
During the 1940s and early 1950s he went to see all the films of John Wayne and Gary Cooper. Later, however, he described both actors as "pantomime cowboys". The westerns he made, like A Man Called Horse (1970), were decidedly revisionist in tone.
- #036
It was his lifelong ambition to play Hamlet. He never did, although he referred to This Sporting Life (1963) as his Hamlet and The Field (1990) as his Lear. He later had one final attempt at an updated version of Lear with My Kingdom (2001).
- #037
Greatly enjoyed working with Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood in the Western, "Unforgiven." Harris described Hackman as a truly dangerous and intimidating actor.
- #038
Harris did not enjoy his first time in Hollywood making The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). Production had to be halted several times due to the frequent illnesses of star Gary Cooper. Harris turned down the role of Commodus in The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and was 34 when he starred in his first Hollywood movie, Major Dundee (1965).
- #039
He won the role of King Arthur in Camelot (1967), the film version of Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe's hit musical, after close friend and drinking buddy Richard Burton, who had played Arthur in the original 1960 Broadway production, turned it down. Burton had had a huge success with the show, winning a 1961 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Harris replaced Burton in the roadshow of the 1980 revival of the musical when Burton was unable to continue due to bursitis, a tour that ended up back on Broadway, with Harris as Arthur, in 1981.
Life & Family (18)
- #040
Became a born-again Catholic after his brother Dermot Harris died from alcoholism in 1985.
- #041
Uncle of actress Annabelle Wallis.
- #042
He had a longtime hatred of Michael Caine. Harris claimed to have turned down the role of Harry Palmer in The Ipcress File (1965).
- #043
Harris paid £75,000 for William Burges' Tower House in Holland Park in 1968, after discovering that Liberace had arranged to buy the house but not yet put down a deposit. Harris employed the original decorators, Campbell Smith & Company Ltd. to carry out extensive restoration work on the interior.
- #044
After giving up drinking alcohol for a time in the 1970s, Harris put a bottle of vodka in every room in his house in London. The temptation was huge but he didn't touch a drop.
- #045
In 1954, while looking for a bedsit in London, he saw a board behind the window of a shop that listed all the rooms it had for rent. On that board was a sign that offered a room for thirteen shillings a week, which read "No Irishmen or black need to apply". He got so infuriated by this that he wrapped his jersey around his hand, punched through the glass and took the sign, which he kept for the rest of his life.
- #046
While living in England he popped out for milk one day and saw in a newspaper that Young Munster were playing in Thomond Park, Limerick. He got the next available flight to Ireland and spent the next three weeks on a drinking binge. All of this was unknown at the time to his wife, who had no idea where he was. When he finally returned to England he rang the doorbell of his house. His wife answered the door and before she had a chance to say anything, he said, "Well, why didn't you pay the ransom?".
- #047
Richard was setting up a scholarship in his brother's name to enable poor Irish students to go to university in America.
- #048
He said he gave up drugs after almost overdosing on cocaine in 1978.
- #049
By the time he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in August 2002, it was so advanced that there was no hope of recovery.
- #050
Harris, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton were drinking partners from the 1960s until O'Toole had to stop drinking in 1978.
- #051
He nearly died from alcoholism in 1981, and a Roman Catholic priest was called to give him the last rites.
- #052
He spent the last 12 years of his life living in Room 758 at the world-famous Savoy Hotel in London. His room was located in the "Courtside" section of the hotel. It did have a view of the river, but not as fine a view as the "Hotel" section riverside rooms. He only had his room cleaned once a week and very rarely notified the hotel that he was out of his room, so they had to check his door ten times a day to see if his "Do Not Disturb" sign flipped around to say "Make Up My Room".
- #053
He enjoyed a friendly rivalry with English actor Oliver Reed during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Reed would often refer to himself as "Mr. England." When Harris would hear him saying that, he would then refer to himself as "Mr. Ireland.".
- #054
Became a born-again Catholic after his brother Dermot Harris died from alcoholism in 1985.
- #055
He was a vocal supporter of the Provisional Irish Republican Army from 1973 to 1984. He discontinued his support after the 1983 Harrods bombing and later became active in persuading Americans of Irish descent not to give money to terrorist groups.
- #056
He was replaced by Donald Sutherland as IRA terrorist Liam Devlin in The Eagle Has Landed (1976) after it was discovered that he had attended a fundraiser for the Provisional IRA in the US.
- #057
Richard was setting up a scholarship in his brother's name to enable poor Irish students to go to university in America.
Related pages
- Chris Pine — Richard Harris comes up in the facts on that page
- Joaquin Phoenix — Richard Harris comes up in the facts on that page
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