Jared Harris
With a chameleonic intensity, he has built a career out of stealing scenes as complex, often troubled figures, from tragic kings to cynical spies.
Born 1961 (age 65)·British actor·Birthday: August 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
The son of a famous actor, Jared Harris deliberately carved a path defined by character, not celebrity. After formal training, he spent years in theater and small film roles, honing a craft that favored subtlety and intelligence over leading-man bravado. His breakthrough came with a mesmerizing, unsettling turn as Andy Warhol in 'I Shot Andy Warhol', revealing a knack for capturing enigmatic real-life figures. Television then became his canvas for mastery: as the doomed Lane Pryce in 'Mad Men', he delivered a heartbreaking study of quiet desperation; as King George VI in 'The Crown', he portrayed monarchical burden with profound humanity; and in 'Chernobyl', his Valery Legasov became the moral center of a historical catastrophe. Harris specializes in the weight of conscience, making every role, however flawed, deeply compelling.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jared was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jared Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Jared's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Valery Legasov in the HBO miniseries 'Chernobyl'.
- Received critical acclaim for his portrayal of King George VI in the Netflix series 'The Crown' (season two).
- Earned an Emmy nomination for his performance as the tragic ad executive Lane Pryce in 'Mad Men'.
- Delivered a standout performance as Andy Warhol in the independent film 'I Shot Andy Warhol'.
Did You Know?
He is the younger son of actor Richard Harris, who played the first Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films.
He initially studied at Duke University with the intention of becoming a director or writer, not an actor.
He played Professor Moriarty in the film 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'.
He is married to actress Emilia Fox's sister, actress and director Allegra Riggio.
“The interesting characters are the ones who are conflicted. The ones who are trying to figure something out.”
