Full name, Richard St. John Harris; born October 1, 1930, in Limerick, Ireland; died of complications resulting from Hodgkin's Disease, October 25, 2002,in London, England. Actor, director, and producer. Acclaimed actor Harris sharpened his acting skills on the stage, where his career began. He made his stage debut in 1956 in The Quare Fellow. That same year he produced anddirected Winter Journey and appeared in the London production of AView from the Bridge. Harris soon moved into television and film, first appearing in the television special The Iron Harp in 1957, then makinghis film debut in 1958 in Alive and Kicking. Harris's breakthrough role was as a rugby player in the 1963 film This Sporting Life, a performance that resulted in a best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. A versatile performer, Harris recorded a popular single, "MacArthur's Park," in 1968; appeared in, cowrote, and made his feature film directorial debut in Bloomfield in 1972; and was executive producer for two films, Echoes of aSummer/The Last Castle and its sequel Return of a Man called Horse, in 1976. Harris returned to the stage in 1982 as King Arthur in a touringproduction of Camelot. He remained with the production, which toured U.S. and Canadian cities, for five years, serving as director from 1984 to 1986. Harris then returned to the London stage in 1990 in an award-winning production of Henry IV. The same year he won critical acclaim, including anAcademy Award nomination, for his performance in the film The Field.A host of memorable film roles followed, including a hired assassin in Unforgiven, a sea captain in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, a mysterioustyrant in Smilla's Sense of Snow, and a Roman emperor in the award-winning film Gladiator. In 2001 Harris starred as the wizard Professor Dumbledore in the film adaptation of the immensely popular children's novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. He reprised the role in a sequel,Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, released just before his death in 2002. Harris was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the European Film Academy and a Special Achievement Award from the London Film Critics' Circle in 2000, as well as a posthumous award from the British Independent Film Awards for his outstanding contribution to film.
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