Ed Harris: Bio And Career Highlights

Ed Harris: Bio And Career Highlights

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

Ed Harris

November 28, 1950

Englewood, New Jersey, US

75 Years Old

Sagittarius

Who Is Ed Harris?

Edward Allen Harris is an American actor renowned for his intense and commanding screen presence. He consistently delivers powerful performances across a wide range of roles.

His breakout moment arrived in 1983, portraying astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff, a role that brought him widespread recognition and critical acclaim.

Early Life and Education

Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Edward Harris grew up in a middle-class Presbyterian family in Tenafly. His father, Robert L. Harris, was a singer who worked at the Art Institute of Chicago’s bookstore.

He excelled in football at Tenafly High School and attended Columbia University before discovering his passion for acting at the University of Oklahoma. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts.

Notable Relationships

A long-term arc defines Edward Harris’s personal life, as he married actress Amy Madigan on November 21, 1983, during the filming of Places in the Heart.

The couple shares one daughter, Lily Dolores Harris, born in 1993, who has also pursued an acting career.

Career Highlights

Edward Harris’s career is marked by a string of critically acclaimed performances, including his Oscar-nominated roles in Apollo 13, The Truman Show, Pollock, and The Hours.

He expanded his artistic ventures by directing and starring in the biographical drama Pollock in 2000, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also directed the Western film Appaloosa.

To date, Harris has collected two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, alongside numerous other nominations for his extensive work in film and television.

Signature Quote

“One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself.”