Richard Harris: Was He a Big Drinker? What Disease

From his Oscar-nominated performances and chart-topping recording of “MacArthur Park” to his iconic turn as Albus Dumbledore, Richard Harris led a life as layered as any role he played. This article answers the questions fans most frequently ask about the Irish actor’s legendary drinking, his political views, his singing career, his Harry Potter salary, and the illness that ended his life. We’ve gathered the most reliable, verifiable facts from film history sources and biographical records to separate the man from the myth.

Last checked: 2026-07-21

Full Name: Richard St John Francis Harris · Born: 1 October 1930, Limerick, Ireland · Died: 25 October 2002 (aged 72) · Known For: Actor, singer; Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter; MacArthur Park hit · Notable Films: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Gladiator, This Sporting Life · Cause of Death: Cancer (Hodgkin’s disease)

• Hit single chart peak: MacArthur Park reached No. 2 in the US and No. 4 in the UK in 1968
• Age at death: 72 years old
• Number of Harry Potter films: 2 films as Albus Dumbledore (2001-2002)
• Born: 1 October 1930 in Limerick, Ireland
• Died: 25 October 2002

Was Richard Harris a big drinker?

Yes. Richard Harris cultivated a well-documented reputation as a heavy drinker and “hellraiser” throughout his adult life. The British Film Institute’s Screenonline biography describes him as “Rabelaisian in his drinking,” noting that his off-screen excesses were legendary even by the standards of his hard-living peers, which included Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole (BFI Screenonline).

According to film biographies, Harris’s drinking worsened through the 1970s and early 1980s, leading to a decline in his acting career before a late-1980s recovery (Fandango Biography). He was part of a cohort of British-Irish actors known for their wild off-screen behavior—a reputation that the Austin Film Society called that of a “hell-raising Hall-of-Famer” whose naturally gifted talent coexisted with a dissolute public image (Austin Film Society).

“He was one of the most naturally gifted actors of his time, with a reputation as a dissolute drinker.”

Austin Film Society profile

Did Richard Harris support the IRA?

The question of Harris’s relationship to the Irish Republican Army is one of the most persistent myths around him. Harris was an outspoken Irish nationalist who frequently expressed pride in his Limerick roots and his country’s culture. However, mainstream biographical sources from BFI Screenonline to Encyclopaedia Britannica focus on his drinking and artistic career and do not document verified operational involvement with the IRA (BFI Screenonline).

Any alleged IRA connection remains speculative without primary sourcing—a point that careful biographical work acknowledges. The “1M Voices for Irish Unity” Facebook page, a grassroots unification advocacy group, has referenced Harris’s name in discussions of Irish identity, but that does not constitute evidence of formal association with armed republicanism. The trade-off: There is no credible, documented link between Harris and the IRA in authoritative film history sources, and claims to the contrary rely on anecdote and inference rather than verifiable evidence.

Did Richard Harris sing MacArthur Park?

Yes—and it became one of the most unexpected hits of the 1960s. Richard Harris recorded “MacArthur Park” in 1967, written by acclaimed songwriter Jimmy Webb. Released as a single in 1968, the sprawling seven-minute track reached No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 in the UK, becoming Harris’s most famous recording and a defining curiosity in his career (Wikipedia).

The song’s success gave Harris a parallel career as a recording artist, though he never replicated that level of chart performance. The track has remained in cultural memory through its unusual length, Webb’s ornate composition, and Harris’s dramatic delivery. Who sang the most popular version of MacArthur Park? While multiple artists have covered the song—including Donna Summer, whose 1978 disco version also charted—Harris’s original 1968 rendition is the one most widely remembered and the version that reached the highest peak positions in both the US and UK.

How much did Richard Harris get paid for Harry Potter?

A precise, fully verified figure for Richard Harris’s salary on the Harry Potter films does not exist in publicly available studio contracts or union disclosures. Secondary commentary and entertainment industry estimates place his pay in the range of approximately $1 million for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Turner Classic Movies). However, major outlets caution that these figures are not corroborated by primary contracts or studio statements.

What is known is that Harris initially rejected the role of Albus Dumbledore three times before accepting it, reportedly at the insistence of his granddaughter, who was a Harry Potter fan (The Irish Post). He appeared in only two films in the franchise—Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)—before his death necessitated the recasting of the role with Michael Gambon for the subsequent films.

Did Sean Connery get along with Richard Harris?

While direct accounts of their personal relationship are limited in major biographical sources, the two actors are frequently compared because they shared a Celtic star image—Harris Irish, Connery Scottish—and both possessed off-screen reputations for strong personalities and political outspokenness. Encyclopaedia Britannica notes the comparison between the two, particularly contrasting their deaths: Harris died at age 72 from Hodgkin’s disease, while Connery died at age 90 in 2020 after reportedly suffering from dementia (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

No documented public feud between the two exists in standard film history references. Harris’s self-deprecating late-career remark—”I have made 72 movies in my life, and been miscast twice—as a husband”—reveals a sardonic attitude toward his own personal life that distinguished him from Connery’s more reserved public persona (NotableBiographies.com).

What disease did Richard Harris have?

Richard Harris died of Hodgkin’s disease, a type of lymphoma and a cancer of the lymphatic system. He was hospitalized in London and died on 25 October 2002 at the age of 72 (NotableBiographies.com).

His diagnosis came relatively late in his life, and the illness ended a career that had seen a late-stage resurgence with his role in Harry Potter and a supporting part in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000). The loss of Harris so soon after taking on the Dumbledore role meant that the franchise had to recast one of its most important characters, passing the role to Michael Gambon for the remaining five films.