Veteran Irish-born actor Richard Harris has died at the age of 72 just as he had found a new generation of fans thanks to his screen portrayal of Harry Potter’s wise old mentor and professor.
”With great sadness, Damian, Jarid and Jamie Harris announced the death of their beloved father Richard Harris,” a representative for Harris’ family said.
”He died peacefully at University College Hospital, London, at 7pm (1800 GMT)” on Friday.
The actor had been receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease — cancer of the lymphatic system — after falling ill earlier this year.
He initially caught the eye of film-goers nearly 40 years ago with one of his best known roles as King Arthur in the 1967 musical Camelot. But he also starred in some of the other classic films of his generation, including A Man Called Horse, The Guns of Navarone and Mutiny on the Bounty.
More recently however he had helped capture the imagination of a new generation of film fans through his role as Professor Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwart’s School of Magic, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He also features in the sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which is set to hit screens in a few weeks.
Harris had declared himself to be amazed by the global social phenomenon triggered by JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books and by the launch of the first of seven planned Potter films. ”I’ve been in the business since 1954 — made 73 movies. I’ve never witnessed anything like it in my life,” he said in an interview in 2000.
Away from the screen, he had a reputation of being a hellraiser — a heavy drinker who twice went bankrupt and was divorced. He underwent a reformation and acting resurrection in the early 1980s, when told he had 18 months to live if he did not stop drinking. He responded by buying the rights to the stage production of ”Camelot”, touring the world with it for five years and becoming a multi-millionaire in the process.
Before entering hospital, Harris worked on the third Harry Potter film, The Prisoner Of Ozkaban while receiving chemotherapy treatment. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said he was deeply saddened by the death of Harris, describing the actor as ”one of Ireland’s most outstanding artists”.
”Richard Harris made a tremendous contribution to the arts and entertainment world throughout his long career. I wish to extend my sympathy to his family and wide circle of friends,” said Ahern.
Harris also starred in Cry, The Beloved Country which was adapted from novel by Alan Paton.
”Richard was a legend and his death is a great loss to the film industry,” said producer Anant Singh on hearing of Harris?s death.
”When we were about to begin production I was warned about his reputation for being a difficult actor, but after meeting with him he assured me of his co-operation and his commitment to the film.”
Singh said Harris frequently spoke about his love for South Africa. He also said that one of the highlights of his life was meeting Madiba at the World Premiere of Cry, The Beloved Countr in New York.
Born in Limerick, southwest Ireland, on October 1, 1930, Harris was the fifth of eight children born into a middle-class staunchly Roman Catholic family. His father, Ivan, was a flour mill owner and the young Richard acquired a lifelong love for rugby and poetry.
As a rugby player, Harris was a formidable forward, representing his province Munster. He had high hopes of playing at international level until he was struck down with tuberculosis at the age of 19.
For more than two years he was largely confined to bed where he read prodigiously. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art accepted him as a pupil in 1953 and Harris stepped on to the London stage three years later.
He married debutante Elizabeth Rees-Williams in 1958. The couple had three sons before the marriage ended in divorce. Harris made his first film, Alive and Kicking in 1958 and swiftly made the transition to Hollywood. His success was assured with the release of This Sporting Life for his sympathetic and powerful portrayal of a fading rugby player — a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination. – Sapa-AFP