Ed Harris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Harris
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Harris in 2017
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Edward Allen Harris
November 28, 1950 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Years active | 1975–present |
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| Children | 1 |
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is famous for his strong performances in many movies and TV shows. Some of his most well-known films include Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), and A Beautiful Mind (2001).
Ed Harris has been nominated for many important awards, including the Academy Award four times. He has also won Golden Globe Awards for his work in both movies and television. Besides acting, he has also directed films like Pollock (2000) and Appaloosa (2008). On television, he is recognized for playing the Man in Black in the popular series Westworld.
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Early Life and Education
Ed Harris was born in Englewood, New Jersey, and grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey. His mother, Margaret, was a travel agent, and his father, Robert, sang in a chorus and worked at a bookstore. Ed has two brothers, Robert and Paul. His family was middle-class and Presbyterian.
High School Sports and College
Harris went to Tenafly High School, where he was a talented athlete. He played on the football team and was even the team captain in his last year. After high school, he played varsity football at Columbia University in New York City.
He later moved to New Mexico with his family. It was there that he discovered his love for acting. He started performing in local theater plays. He then decided to study drama at the University of Oklahoma. After gaining experience in local theaters, he moved to Los Angeles. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1975.
Acting Career Highlights
Ed Harris began his acting journey on stage in the mid-1970s. He performed in plays like Baalam and Kingdom of Earth. Soon after, he started getting steady work in television shows.
Early TV and Film Roles
From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Harris appeared in many TV series. These included The Rockford Files, Barnaby Jones, and Lou Grant.
In 1983, he became widely known for playing astronaut John Glenn in the movie The Right Stuff. The next year, he starred in the drama film Places in the Heart. It was during the making of this movie that he met and married his wife, actress Amy Madigan.
Big Roles in the 1990s
The 1990s brought many important roles for Ed Harris. In 1992, he played Dave Moss in Glengarry Glen Ross, a drama based on a famous play.
In 1995, he received his first Academy Award nomination for his role as NASA Mission Control Director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13. This movie was about the real-life space mission. In 1998, he earned another Academy Award nomination for his part in The Truman Show, a movie about a man whose life is secretly a TV show. He also won a Golden Globe Award for this role.
Directing and More Acclaim in the 2000s
Ed Harris made his debut as a director in 2000 with the movie Pollock. He also starred in the film as the artist Jackson Pollock. His performance earned him his third Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actor. To prepare, he even built a small studio to learn the painter's techniques.
In 2002, he received his fourth Academy Award nomination for his role in The Hours. He also appeared in other notable films like A Beautiful Mind (2001) and the war thriller Enemy at the Gates (2001).
On television, he starred in the miniseries Empire Falls (2005), which earned him more award nominations. He also played Ludwig van Beethoven in the film Copying Beethoven (2006). In 2008, he co-wrote, directed, and starred in the Western film Appaloosa with Viggo Mortensen.
Recent Work in the 2010s and 2020s
In 2012, Ed Harris won a Golden Globe Award for his role as Senator John McCain in the TV drama Game Change. He also voiced Mission Control in the space movie Gravity (2013).
From 2016 to 2022, he played the Man in Black, a main character in the popular HBO science fiction series Westworld. He was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for this role. In 2017, he starred in the horror film Mother! and the drama Kodachrome.
More recently, in 2022, Ed Harris appeared in the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick. He also had a role in the 2024 film Love Lies Bleeding.
Personal Life
Ed Harris married actress Amy Madigan on November 21, 1983. They met while filming Places in the Heart together. They have one daughter named Lily Dolores Harris, who was born on May 3, 1993.
Harris is known for being very focused and serious on film sets. On March 13, 2015, he received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to movies. He also received an honorary degree from Muhlenberg College in 2015.
Filmography
Awards and Nominations
Ed Harris has received many honors throughout his career. These include two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He has also been nominated for four Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.
His Academy Award nominations are:
- For Apollo 13 (1995) – Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- For The Truman Show (1998) – Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- For Pollock (2000) – Best Actor in a Leading Role
- For The Hours (2002) – Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Images for kids
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Harris at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Ed Harris para niños
