Age, Biography, and Wiki
Richard Harris was born on October 1, 1930, in Limerick, Ireland. He was an Irish actor, singer, producer, and director known for his versatility and powerful performances. Harris studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and made his screen debut in the late 1950s. He passed away on October 25, 2002, at the age of 72, following a battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
| Occupation | Stage Actor |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1 October 1930 |
| Age | 94 Years |
| Birth Place | Limerick, Ireland |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | Ireland |
| Date of death | 25 October, 2002 |
| Died Place | Bloomsbury, London, England |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Although specific details about Richard Harris's height and weight are not widely documented, actors of his era typically had a strong physical presence. Harris was known for his tall, imposing figure, which suited many of his roles.
At the height of his stardom in the 1960s and early 1970s, Harris was almost as well known for his hellraiser lifestyle and heavy drinking as he was for his acting career. He was a longtime alcoholic until he became a teetotaller in 1981. Nevertheless, he did resume drinking Guinness a decade later. He gave up drugs after almost dying from a cocaine overdose in 1978.
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Dating & Relationship status
Richard Harris was married three times: first to Elizabeth Rees-Williams from 1957 to 1969, then to Ann Turkel from 1974 to 1982, and finally to Ann Turkel again from 1983 until his death in 2002. He had three sons from his first marriage: Damian, Jamie, and Jared—Jared Harris being a notable actor in his own right.
Harris starred in two thrillers: 99 and 44/100% Dead (1974), for John Frankenheimer, and Juggernaut (1974), for Richard Lester. In Echoes of a Summer (1976) he played the father of a young girl with a terminal illness. He had a cameo as Richard the Lionheart in Robin and Marian (1976), for Lester, then was in The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976). Harris led the all-star cast in the train disaster film The Cassandra Crossing (1976). He played Gulliver in the part-animated Gulliver's Travels (1977) and was reunited with Michael Anderson in Orca (1977), battling a killer whale. He appeared in another action film, Golden Rendezvous (1977), based on a novel by Alistair Maclean, shot in South Africa. Harris was sued by the film's producer for his drinking; Harris counter-sued for defamation and the matter was settled out of court. Golden Rendezvous was a flop but The Wild Geese (1978), where Harris played one of several mercenaries, was a big success outside America. Ravagers (1979) was more action, set in a post-apocalyptic world. Game for Vultures (1979) was set in Rhodesia and shot in South Africa.
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| Husband | Elizabeth Rees-Williams (m. 1957-1969) Ann Turkel (m. 1974-1982) |
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Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death in 2002, Richard Harris's net worth was estimated at $20 million. His earnings came from a successful acting career spanning multiple genres and decades, including prominent roles in films like "This Sporting Life," "Camelot," "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," and "Gladiator".
Career, Business, and Investments
Richard Harris had a prolific career marked by numerous acclaimed performances:
- Early Career: He began his acting career with stage performances and later transitioned to film, gaining recognition with "This Sporting Life" (1963), which earned him an Academy Award nomination.
- Notable Roles: Harris is famous for his roles in "Camelot" (1967), where he won a Golden Globe, and "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" (2001), where he played Albus Dumbledore. He also appeared in "Gladiator" (2000), playing Marcus Aurelius.
- Business Ventures: While primarily focused on acting, Harris was also involved in music and had a singing career, releasing several albums.
Overdale was "a tall, elegant, early 19th-century redbrick" house with nine bedrooms, in a wealthy part of Limerick, the houses "built at the turn of the 20th century for Limerick's burgeoning middle class... people who could afford properly grand drawing rooms, a bedroom each for the children and one for the pot, plus space for a few servants". He was educated by the Jesuits at Crescent College. A talented rugby union player, he appeared on several Munster Junior and Senior Cup teams for Crescent, and played for Garryowen. Harris's athletic career was cut short when he caught tuberculosis in his teens. He remained an ardent fan of the Munster Rugby and Young Munster teams until his death, attending many of their matches, and there are numerous stories of japes at rugby matches with actors and fellow rugby fans Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton.
For a while in the 1980s, Harris went into semi-retirement on Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, where he kicked his drinking habit and embraced a healthier lifestyle. It had a beneficial effect. Harris's career was revived by his success on stage in Camelot, and powerful performance in the West End run of Pirandello's Henry IV.
Harris paid £75,000 for William Burges' Tower House in Holland Park in 1968, after discovering that the American entertainer Liberace had arranged to buy the house but had not yet put down a deposit. Harris employed the original decorators, Campbell Smith & Company Ltd., to carry out extensive restoration work on the interior.
Social Network
As Richard Harris passed away in 2002, he does not have an active social media presence. However, his legacy continues to be celebrated by fans and industry peers through various retrospectives and tributes.
In 1971 Harris starred in a BBC TV film adaptation The Snow Goose, from a screenplay by Paul Gallico. It won a Golden Globe for Best Movie made for TV and was nominated for both a BAFTA and an Emmy. and was shown in the U.S. as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. He made his directorial debut with Bloomfield (1971) and starred in Man in the Wilderness (1971), a revisionist Western based on the Hugh Glass story.
Harris hesitated to take the role of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) owing to the multi-film commitment and his declining health, but he ultimately accepted because, according to his account of the story, his 11-year-old granddaughter threatened never to speak to him again if he did not take it. 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."
Education
Richard Harris studied at Crescent College in Limerick before moving to London to attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Given that Richard Harris passed away in 2002, his net worth in 2025 is not applicable as it would not have increased posthumously. His legacy, however, remains significant in the film industry.
After recovering from tuberculosis, Harris moved to England, wanting to become a director. He could not find any suitable training courses, and enrolled in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art to learn acting. He had failed an audition at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and had been rejected by the Central School of Speech and Drama, because they felt he was too old at 24. While still a student, he rented the tiny "off-West End" Irving Theatre, and there directed his production of Clifford Odets's play Winter Journey (The Country Girl).
A lifelong supporter of Jesuit education principles, Harris established a friendship with University of Scranton President Rev. J. A. Panuska and raised funds for a scholarship for Irish students established in honour of his brother and manager, Dermot, who had died the previous year of a heart attack. He chaired acting workshops and cast the university's production of Julius Caesar in November 1987.
Harris was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in August 2002, reportedly after being hospitalised with pneumonia. He died at University College Hospital in Bloomsbury, London, on 25 October 2002, aged 72. Harris quipped "It was the food!" as he was wheeled out of the Savoy Hotel for the last time. Harris spent his final three days in a coma. Harris's body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in The Bahamas, where he owned a home.
Another life-size statue of Richard Harris, as King Arthur from his film Camelot, has been erected in Bedford Row, in the centre of his home town of Limerick. The sculptor of this statue was the Irish sculptor Jim Connolly, a graduate of the Limerick School of Art and Design.
