Sir Rex Harrison
| Sir Rex Harrison | |
|---|---|
Harrison at his home in London in 1976, by Allan Warren
|
|
| Born |
Reginald Carey Harrison 5 March 1908 Huyton, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 2 June 1990 (aged 82) New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pancreatic cancer |
| Education | Liverpool College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930–1989 |
| Spouse(s) |
Colette Thomas (m. 1934; div. 1942) Lilli Palmer (m. 1943; div. 1957) Kay Kendall (m. 1957; d. 1959) Rachel Roberts (m. 1962; div. 1971) Elizabeth Rees-Williams (m. 1971; div. 1975) Mercia Tinker (m. 1979–90) |
| Children | |
| Relatives | Cathryn Harrison (granddaughter) |
Sir Reginald Carey "Rex" Harrison (5 March 1908 – 2 June 1990) was an English actor of stage and screen.
Harrison began his career on the stage in 1924. He won his first Tony Award for his performance as Henry VIII in the play Anne of the Thousand Days in 1949. He won his second Tony for the role of Professor Henry Higgins in the stage production of My Fair Lady in 1957. He reprised the role for the 1964 film version, which earned him a Golden Globe Award and Best Actor Oscar.
In addition to his stage career, Harrison also appeared in numerous films, including Anna and the King of Siam (1946), The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), Cleopatra (1963), and Doctor Dolittle (1967). In July 1989, Harrison was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1975, Harrison released his first autobiography. His second, A Damned Serious Business: My Life in Comedy, was published posthumously in 1991.
Harrison was married six times and had two sons: Noel and Carey Harrison. He continued working in stage productions until shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in June 1990 at the age of 82.
Harrison was born at Derry House in Huyton, Lancashire, the son of Edith Mary (née Carey) and William Reginald Harrison, a cotton broker. He was educated at Liverpool College. After a bout of childhood measles, Harrison lost most of the sight in his left eye, which on one occasion caused some on-stage difficulty. He first appeared on the stage in 1924 in Liverpool. Harrison's acting career was interrupted during World War II while serving in the Royal Air Force, reaching the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He acted in various stage productions until 11 May 1990. He acted in the West End of London when he was young, appearing in the Terence Rattigan play French Without Tears, which proved to be his breakthrough role.
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