Biography for
Ed Harris (I)

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By transforming into his characters and pulling the audience in, Ed Harris has earned the reputation as one of the most talented actors of our time. Born in Tenafly, New Jersey, Harris grew up as the middle child. After graduating high school, he attended New York's Columbia University, where he played football. After viewing local theater productions, Harris took a sudden interest in acting. He left Columbia, headed to Oklahoma, where his parents were living, and enrolled in the University of Oklahoma's theater department. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to find work. He started acting in theater and television guest spots. Harris landed his first leading role in a film in cult-favorite George A. Romero's Knightriders (1981). Two years later, he got his first taste of critical acclaim, playing astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983). Also that year, he made his New York stage debut in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love", a performance that earned him an Obie for Outstanding Actor. Harris' career gathered momentum after that. In 2000, he made his debut as a director in the Oscar-winning film Pollock (2000).

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Trivia

He won an Obie for "Fool For Love."

Educated at Columbia University, New York.

Graduated from Tenafly High School in Tenafly, New Jersey.

Daughter Lily Dolores Harris born on 3 May 1993.

He and Amy Madigan were married by a justice of the peace in Waxahachie, Texas during the filming of Places in the Heart (1984).

His father was a singer with the Fred Waring chorus.

Often called "the thinking woman's sex symbol".

To learn how to paint in Jackson Pollock's style and portray his art in the film, he had a studio built on his property and spent some time painting and working on Pollock pieces.

Credits acting for helping him get over his shyness as a young man.

Was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People (2001)

Due to injuries he sustained while filming The Abyss (1989), he was almost unable to accept the role of Frankie Flannery in _State of Grace (1990)_.

Originated the role of "Eddie" in the stage production of "Fool for Love" by Sam Shepard. He later worked with Shepard himself in The Right Stuff (1983) and then Shepard went on to succeed him in the film adaptation of the play.

Was set to star in the Danny Boyle's firefighter drama "Worcester Cold Storage" with Woody Harrelson, but the project never came to fruition.

In 1973, he moved to California and entered the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1986 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for "Precious Sons."

He has a brother living in Norman, Oklahoma - where Ed attended the University of Oklahoma.

Son-in-law of John Madigan.

Has appeared in 3 films based on Stephen King stories: Creepshow (1982), Needful Things (1993) and "The Stand" (1994) (mini).

Has three films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: A Beautiful Mind (2001) at #93, The Right Stuff (1983) at #19, and Apollo 13 (1995) at #12.

Good friends with Fred Ward.

Received an honorary diploma from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003.

One of his favorite books is The Grapes Of Wrath.

He says his most embarrassing moment was modeling tuxedos at the Oklahoma State Fair in 1971.

An veteran stage actor, he made his European debut in Ireland in 2006 with Neil LaBute's Wrecks.

Personal Quotes

[On painter Jackson Pollock]: "One thing I learned about Mr. Pollock's art, which any art student knows I'm sure, but was indeed a revelation to me, is that Jackson fully believed and lived by 'don't use the accident, because I deny the accident'. One cannot even approximate Pollock's work unless every stroke, every pour, every slap, every fling, every shake, every splash, every splatter and every flick has a specific intention".

As soon as I went on stage, I wanted to do nothing else with my life but act. I always liked the attention that playing sports had brought, but acting fulfilled that need even better.

I was very happy playing sports until I was 18, and then there were a couple of years where I really didn't know what I wanted to do. I saw some theatre in Oklahoma and made a decision to learn about acting. It wasn't really with an eye on making films or even making a living; it was really about trying to focus on something that had the potential of taking the place of sport in terms of something to penetrate.

I don't intentionally choose movies that aren't going to be successful commercially. It just happens that the most interesting scripts I read are outside the mainstream. I like characters who have an edge to them, who are going to do something unexpected.

Acting is not a competition to me. One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself.

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