Jared Harris has always been one of those actors whose face is instantly recognizable, but his roles have varied so much that you may not immediately associate him with any particular character. From playing a dashing British officer in ‘The Last of the Mohicans‘ to the stoic Valery Legasov in ‘Chernobyl‘, Harris is a true chameleon.
The 63-year-old actor has seen a career renaissance in recent years, thanks in large part to his stellar performances in prestige television series like ‘Mad Men‘ and ‘The Terror‘. But don’t let his success fool you into thinking it’s always been smooth sailing. Harris has had his share of audition-room nightmares and box office flops, yet he’s always managed to maintain his integrity and humor.
Jared Harris Chose Marvel For Mortgage, Not Fame
When asked about his role in the Spider-Man spin-off ‘Morbius‘, Harris didn’t mince words. “I have a mortgage to pay, you know. Sometimes you say yes to things because you need to make money,” he shrugged.
For an actor who is used to playing in high-caliber dramas, taking on a Marvel-adjacent film seems like a bit of a departure. And as he diplomatically put it, “I have observed that those types of films do well if you have a sense of humour. You can’t treat it as though it’s Shakespeare.”
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Harris, it seems, didn’t exactly have the time of his life on the set of ‘Morbius‘. “Yeah, that movie could have done with a more mischievous sense of humour,” he said. But it’s safe to say Harris isn’t losing sleep over his Marvel experience. He’s got plenty more exciting roles coming down the pipeline, including his portrayal of Mikhail Gorbachev in the upcoming film ‘Reykjavik‘.
‘Reawakening‘ is in cinemas now.
The Man Behind The Characters
While many actors hope for their breakout role in their twenties, it wasn’t until Harris’ portrayal of Lane Pryce in ‘Mad Men‘ that his career truly took off. As Harris recalled in an interview with I News one casting director even told him early in his career.
“A successful actor is a recognizable actor, and you’re trying to start from scratch every single time.” With roles spanning everything from Soviet scientists (‘Chernobyl‘) to polar explorers (‘The Terror‘), Harris’s ability to fully disappear into his characters has always been both a blessing and a curse. After ‘Mad Men‘, Harris jokingly noted that “I got offered a lot of suicidal CFOs.”
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His latest role, in the independent film ‘Reawakening‘, sees Harris playing John, a grieving father who doesn’t believe the daughter returning home after a ten-year disappearance is really her. “Reawakening is the kind of movie that’s getting harder to make,” Harris explained. He also served as an executive producer on the film.
