Ed Harris Bio
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. Harris received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Apollo 13 (1995), The Truman Show (1998), and The Hours (2002). He also directed and starred in Pollock (2000) and Appaloosa (2008), the former earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Harris has appeared in numerous leading and supporting roles, including Knightriders (1981), Creepshow (1982), The Right Stuff, Under Fire (both 1983), Places in the Heart, Swing Shift (both 1984), Alamo Bay, Sweet Dreams (both 1985), Jacknife, The Abyss (both 1989), State of Grace (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), The Firm (1993), Nixon (1995), The Rock (1996), Stepmom (1998), A Beautiful Mind, Enemy at the Gates (both 2001), A History of Violence (2005), Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Way Back (2010), Snowpiercer (2013), A Crooked Somebody, Mother! (both 2017), The Lost Daughter (2021), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), Love Lies Bleeding, and Riff Raff (both 2024). On television, Harris is notable for his roles as Warren on the CBS drama series Lou Grant (1979–81) and Miles Roby on the HBO drama miniseries Empire Falls (2005). For his portrayal of John McCain on the HBO political drama television film Game Change (2012), Harris won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. He starred as William / The Man in Black on the HBO dystopian sci-fi western series Westworld (2016–22), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Early Life and Background
Ed Harris was born at Englewood Hospital in Englewood, New Jersey, and grew up in the suburb of Tenafly, New Jersey. He is the son of Margaret (née Sholl), a travel agent, and Robert L. Harris, who sang with the Fred Waring chorus and worked at the bookstore of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ed has an older brother, Robert, and a younger brother, Paul. He grew up in a middle-class Presbyterian family, and his parents were originally from Oklahoma. Harris graduated from Tenafly High School in 1969, where he played on the football team and served as the team captain in his senior year. A star athlete in high school, Ed Harris played varsity football at Columbia University and was a teammate of future United States Attorney General Eric Holder. After two years at Columbia, he moved to New Mexico, where he discovered his interest in acting through various theater plays. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to study drama and later moved to Los Angeles to attend the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975.
Path to Hollywood
Ed Harris began his career on the stage. In 1976, he played an FBI agent in the world premiere of Thomas Rickman’s play Baalam at the Pasadena Repertory Theatre. His first film role came in 1978 with a minor part in the suspense film Coma. His first major role in a film came two years later with Borderline (1980), in which he starred alongside Charles Bronson. In 1981, Harris played the lead role as motorcyclist William “Billy” Davis in Knightriders, directed by George A. Romero. The following year, he had a small role in Creepshow, also directed by Romero. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Harris found steady work on television, appearing in various series including Lou Grant and The Rockford Files.
Ed Harris Career
Early Career (1975–1983)
Ed Harris’s breakthrough came in 1983 when he portrayed astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff. This role established him as a prominent actor in Hollywood. In 1984, he co-starred in the drama film Places in the Heart, during which he met and married his wife, Amy Madigan. He also appeared in Swing Shift (1984) and played the abusive husband Charlie Dick in the HBO film Sweet Dreams (1985). In 1986, he received a Tony Award nomination for his role in George Furth’s Precious Sons, winning the Theatre World Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play. Harris’s performance in the 1989 sci-fi film The Abyss, directed by James Cameron, further solidified his reputation as a talented actor.
Breakthrough (1983–1999)
In 1995, Harris portrayed NASA Apollo Mission Control Director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13, earning his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His role in The Truman Show (1998) earned him a second nomination for the same award and won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Harris’s performance in Pollock (2000), which he directed and starred in, earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. His work in these films marked significant milestones in his career and showcased his versatility as an actor.
Notable Works and Milestones
Ed Harris’s signature works include Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and Pollock. He has received numerous accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards and multiple Academy Award nominations, highlighting his impact on the film industry.
Ed Harris Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Ed Harris has received multiple nominations for prestigious awards, including four Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, showcasing his talent and versatility as an actor.
Ed Harris Awards Won
Ed Harris has won several awards, including two Golden Globe Awards for his performances in The Truman Show and Game Change, further affirming his status as a distinguished actor in Hollywood.
Ed Harris Family
Ed Harris married actress Amy Madigan on November 21, 1983, while they were filming Places in the Heart together. They have one daughter, Lily Dolores Harris, born on May 3, 1993.
Personal Life
Ed Harris has a reputation for being serious on film sets. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 13, 2015, for his work in motion pictures. Harris is known for his strong beliefs and has been vocal about various issues throughout his career.
