Trivia

Died shortly before the U.S. premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

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.

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?".

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).

Harris, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton were drinking partners from the 1960s until O'Toole had to stop drinking in 1978.

Was knighted by Denmark in 1985.

Befriended Russell Crowe while filming Gladiator (2000).

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.

Mickey Rourke dedicated his 2009 BAFTA award for Best Actor to Harris, calling him "a good friend and great actor.".

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).

Was cremated and his ashes were scattered at his home in the Bahamas

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.

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".

He appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Guns of Navarone (1961), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Unforgiven (1992) and Gladiator (2000). The latter two won in the category.

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.

An avid fan of American football, his favorite team was the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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.

Was a pretty good rugby player in his day, still remembered in Limerick City for his tackling ability.

He nearly died from alcoholism in 1981, and a Roman Catholic priest was called to give him the last rites.

His younger brother, Dermot Harris, was married to actress Cassandra Harris and had two children, Charlotte Brosnan and Christopher Brosnan. After his death she married Pierce Brosnan and they became Brosnan's stepchildren.

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.".

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.

Once said in an interview that he had a great fascination with authority figures and their use of power. During his career he portrayed King Arthur in Camelot (1967); Oliver Cromwell in Cromwell (1970); King Richard the Lionheart in Robin and Marian (1976); Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Gladiator (2000) and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).

One of nine children born to Limerick farmer Ivan Harris and his wife, the former Mildred Harty.

An alcoholic, he gave up drinking completely in 1981 and returned to drinking Guinness a decade later.

By the time he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in August 2002, it was so advanced that there was no hope of recovery.

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.

Father of director Damian Harris, as well as actors Jared Harris and Jamie Harris.

A bout with tuberculosis ended his ambition of becoming a professional rugby player.

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.

He and Patrick Bergin were two of the only Irish actors to play Irishmen in Patriot Games (1992).

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.".

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).

He was a candidate to play Gandalf in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

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.

Was vocal in his intense dislike for Michael Caine, both as an actor as well as a person.

He was considered to play Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins (1964).

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".

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.

Greatly enjoyed working with Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood in the Western, "Unforgiven." Harris described Hackman as a truly dangerous and intimidating actor.

He was awarded the 1990 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in Henry IV.

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.

Harris was a member of the Roman Catholic Knights of Malta, and was also dubbed a knight by the Queen of Denmark in 1985.

He was a vocal supporter of the Provisional Irish Republican Army from 1973-84. In the late 1980s he was active in persuading Americans of Irish descent not to give money to terrorist groups.

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.

Member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford Upon Avon, England, since the early 1960s. His last appearance on the Swan stage (RSC main) was in the mid-1990s.

Received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Scranton in 1987.

Became a born-again Catholic after his brother Dermot Harris died from alcoholism in 1985.

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 Philosopher's Stone (2001)).

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.