Jared Harris 'delighted' the Richard Harris Archives have found a home in Cork
Jared Harris, the actor who starred in the hit TV show , has paid a visit to University College Cork to view the archives of his late father — the legendary screen icon Richard Harris.
The Richard Harris Archive is made up of a collection of personal items from the actor that were donated to University College Cork (UCC) last year. The collection was gathered by the Limerick native’s family before being permanently housed in the university’s Boole Library.
Jared Harris, who also starred in The Crown and Chernobyl, has visited the Cork college for the first time, with his wife, Allegra.
The Richard Harris Archives span over 50 years and consist of an array of sentimental props, artifacts, letters, photos, and other items that paint a picture of the actor’s colourful personality and his love for literature.
For the family of the actor, who passed away in 2002 following a battle with Hodgkin’s disease, it is a relief to know that some of his most prized possessions have finally found a home.
“I would lay awake at night thinking all of this material is in a damp lock up in Oxford and, you’re sort of one flood of the River Avon or whatever, from it being ruined forever,” said Jared of his father’s extensive collection.
The actor, who splits his time between New York and Los Angeles, said the family wanted to find someone who would “appreciate” the selection of items, and eventually, they found that in the team at UCC.
“I was delighted, absolutely thrilled that it's found a home,” he said.
Of course, it being an Irish home, in his father’s native Munster, makes it even more special.
“There were universities in America interested, but they would only have been interested in the film stuff. They wouldn't have been interested in the whole life - the Irish, the rugby.”
Before becoming one of our most recongisable actors, Richard Harris used to play with the Munster junior rugby team.
His son said that one of his journals even included a list of the players who he believed should have been on the Irish rugby team, as well as a couple of “stern letters” addressed to coaches.
Jared Harris offered another example of one of the many letters in the archive that his father wrote home to Limerick while he was just starting his acting career in London.
“Early days, he writes home, as you do when you're young, asking his parents for money. He's working as an actor in London, and he's not being paid much money when he's in London in a production of and Arthur Miller is coming to rehearsal every day and he says, 'he brought his wife to rehearsals today, Marilyn Monroe'. He writes something like ‘she wasn't that extraordinary’.
“It brings it home. This is a guy, he's asking his parents please send me some money. I don't feel so bad about the letters I'd written,” he laughed.
His father kept everything, but typically it was “chucked into steamer trunks and all crumpled up”.
“I didn't know he kept all of our letters and all of our school reports and the telegrams from his early days. When he married Mom, when he got his first job - an amazing source of stuff that he hung on to - because he wasn't a sentimental person in that way.
“His house wasn't full of memorabilia. In fact, there was nothing of him at all. He didn't have any of his film posters or any awards or anything like that.”
While some items are still to come from the UK, Jared Harris said it was very special to see the archive in person and with such care given to it.
Everything will be preserved so that it will be in a pristine state for many years to come.
Also among the treasure throve are the cufflinks Richard Harris was presented with after winning best actor at the Cannes Film Festival in 1963 for This Sporting Life as well as a sweet get-well-soon card from a young Daniel Radcliffe during Harris' time playing the role of Dumbledore.
"It is a great relief to bring my father's archives home to Ireland."@JaredHarris visited UCC today to meet @uccfilmstudies students and view the Richard Harris Archives @UCCLibrary. pic.twitter.com/LvotwCoeLi
— UCC Ireland (@UCC) April 21, 2023
A letter from US President Ronald Regan is also among the items in the archive as well as a note from actor and filmmaker, Kirk Douglas.
“Over 150 unpublished poems, letters to and from people and then stuff from his early days. He kept all of his acting scripts with the notes in it so those are all there and then funny mementos that he kept - things that tickled him,” added Jared Harris.
UCC’s acquisition of the archives marked a new stage in the development of contemporary cultural collections at the university. It plans to develop a UCC Treasures Gallery for public displays and interpretation of various artefacts.
