Richard Harris interview, Ireland 1964

Richard Harris chats about his acting career to date.

Richard Harris does not like to be described as overnight success. He argues that he has been acting and working towards this success for years. Richard Harris talks of his contemporaries, Peter O’Toole and Albert Finney, and how it is fashionable to be an Irish actor in the English arts scene.

Richard Harris also talks about waiting to christen his child in Ireland.

This episode of ‘Newsbeat’ was broadcast on 8 October 1964. The reporter is Arthur Quinlan.

Richard Harris was born in Limerick city in 1930. In 1963 he had his first starring role in the film ‘This Sporting Life’ for which he won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1990 he was nominated for an Academy Award for a second time for his role in the film ‘The Field’. He died in 2002.