Richard Harris's Real Name: Richard Harris

Quick answer: Richard Harris is documented in major reference works as Richard Harris. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that he was born on October 1, 1930, in Limerick, Ireland, and that he died on October 25, 2002, in London. He was an Irish actor of stage and screen, later widely known as Albus Dumbledore in the first Harry Potter films (Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "Harris, Richard, 1930-2002," with the variant "Harris, Richard St. John, 1930-2002." Britannica's lead uses October 1, 1930, in Limerick, and does not include a middle name. Some older reference works cited in the Library of Congress record, including Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television and Contemporary Authors, give 1933, or list 1933 with 1930 or 1932 as alternatives, and give the fuller form Richard St. John Harris. This page follows Britannica's 1930 date and uses the public name in the title, while noting those conflicts. Britannica says Harris, the son of a miller, played rugby at school but saw his hopes for a sporting career end, after which he turned to acting.

Career highlights

Harris became an international star with his Oscar-nominated portrayal of a brutal, self-centred rugby player in This Sporting Life (1963). He later played King Arthur in the 1967 film Camelot and in a 1982 Broadway revival of the show. As a singer he was associated with the album A Tramp Shining (1968) and the international hit "MacArthur Park." Late in his career he was cast as Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in some releases) and its sequel, appearing opposite Daniel Radcliffe in the screen versions of J. K. Rowling's books. Britannica also notes a public reputation for offstage indulgences alongside the flamboyant performances.

Death

Britannica records that Harris died on October 25, 2002, in London, England. A BBC News item cited in the Library of Congress file, viewed in 2002, referred to him as 71, a figure consistent with a 1930 birth year.

Name notes for searchers

Richard Harris is the name used in Britannica's biography. Some reference works record a fuller form, Richard St. John Harris, which has not been independently confirmed here beyond those Library of Congress citations and is therefore kept out of the title. He should not be confused with the playwright Richard Harris (born 1934), a distinction the Library of Congress record itself makes.