Ed Harris was born in Tenafly, New Jersey, to Margaret (Sholl), a travel agent, and Robert Lee Harris, a bookstore worker who also sang professionally. Both of his parents were originally from Oklahoma. 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.
Ed Harris’s top movies and TV shows
Harris has appeared in several leading and supporting roles, including in The Right Stuff (1983), The Abyss (1989), State of Grace (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), The Firm (1993), Nixon (1995), The Rock (1996), Stepmom (1998), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Enemy at the Gates (2001), A History of Violence (2005), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Snowpiercer (2013), Mother! (2017), The Lost Daughter (2021), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
In television, Harris is notable for his roles as Miles Roby in the miniseries Empire Falls (2005) and as United States Senator John McCain in the television movie Game Change (2012); the latter earning him the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
Ed Harris awards and nominations
He received praise from critics and nominations for Academy Awards for his roles in The Truman Show (1998), Pollock (2000), The Hours (2002), Apollo 13 (1995), and The Truman Show. He has received several nominations throughout his career, including the Academy Award for Best Actor of the Year in 2001, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, The Screen Actor Guild Award for Outstanding Performance, and many more.
