Irish Maverick Richard Harris

nazmoalex

What a guy, serious charisma, sharp as a they come. It's hard to believe he's almost 20 years gone.

I was watching some old interviews he did on Letterman, and I have to say, it was great to see him tell his stories through the years. A bygone era when everyone(almost) loved a rogue. Some of the tales about him and Peter O'Toole would make for a great comedy movie someday.

Aside from those two, is there anyone else even on their level when it comes to being a maverick?
George Best comes to mind, but after that I can't think of anyone.

*side note googling "George Best Richard Harris" brings up the Ukrainian Embassy. Wonder what happened there LOL!

Trigger Happy

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

Ten of Swords

His son Jared is a very talented actor too

Lmkrnr

I think Colin Farrell was pencilled in to be that maverick but he couldn't keep the drinking going or he'd be out of a job. Different times.

nazmoalex

Ten of Swords wrote: »

His son Jared is a very talented actor too

Wonder would he have any interest in playing a role in a biopic. He's 60 himself this year.

Hamsterchops

Oliver Reed.

ShagNastii

Ten of Swords wrote: »

His son Jared is a very talented actor too

Had no idea he was Richard’s son. Stellar in all shows/films he is in.

Church on Tuesday

Trigger Happy wrote: »

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

You could add Richard Burton to that list too, so it could be a couple of weeks.

Harry Palmr

Yesterday's mavericks are today's court cases!

And those who try to be wild and free tend to end up just looking angry and puce faced. See Russell Crowe etc.

Most of the "hellraisers" mentioned share something (and you can add Robert Shaw to this list) - they looked older than they were, often died quite young and in truth wasted a lot of innate talent on some absolute sh1te. Esp Harris who through the core part of his career signed up for any old junk.

Bass Reeves

The Clancy brothers were if much the same ilk but with a bit of music added

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

You could add Richard Burton to that list too, so it could be a couple of weeks.

I will never forget reading this re: Burton. :eek:

When Burton was operated on for sciatica and arthritis, his spinal column was coated with crystallised alcohol.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/non_fictionreviews/3672334/The-erotic-vagrancy-of-Richard-Burton.html#:~:text=When%20Burton%20was%20operated%20on,58%2C%20he%20looked%20about%20100.

I also recall reading that Elizabeth Taylor came looking for Burton once and found him on the floor of a pub, brawling with one of the other aforementioned actors. Can't remember which one.

Mad_maxx

nazmoalex wrote: »

What a guy, serious charisma, sharp as a they come. It's hard to believe he's almost 20 years gone.

I was watching some old interviews he did on Letterman, and I have to say, it was great to see him tell his stories through the years. A bygone era when everyone(almost) loved a rogue. Some of the tales about him and Peter O'Toole would make for a great comedy movie someday.

Aside from those two, is there anyone else even on their level when it comes to being a maverick?
George Best comes to mind, but after that I can't think of anyone.

*side note googling "George Best Richard Harris" brings up the Ukrainian Embassy. Wonder what happened there LOL!

the likes of Harris or Oliver Reed would not last five minutes nowadays with cancel culture

everything now must be completely lacking in spontanaety and pass the WOKE test first

Mad_maxx

Church on Tuesday wrote: »

You could add Richard Burton to that list too, so it could be a couple of weeks.

not forgetting Lee Marvin

For Forks Sake

Trigger Happy wrote: »

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

If you haven't already, get your hands on this book. It's the Guiness book of Drinking Stories.

https://www.dubraybooks.ie/Hellraisers-The-Life-and-Inebriated-Times-of-Burton-Harris-OToole-and-Reed_9781848090187

Hangdogroad

For Forks Sake wrote: »

If you haven't already, get your hands on this book. It's the Guiness book of Drinking Stories.

https://www.dubraybooks.ie/Hellraisers-The-Life-and-Inebriated-Times-of-Burton-Harris-OToole-and-Reed_9781848090187

Pint man Paddy Losty would take the shirt off any of their backs.

Hyperbollix

Have fallen down the youtube rabbit hole on a few occasions when it comes to interviews of the hellraiser lads. Interesting individuals...

It seemed that having come from no money and suddenly been catapulted into fame and fortune, their attitude was to grab it with both hands and keep hanging on til the wheels came off.

nj27

Trigger Happy wrote: »

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

I would add Richard Burton but I think I’m all set for alcohol poisoning for now. The amount of alcohol those guys put away is absurd, yet somehow they seem more classy than the actors of today.

Wanderer78

Probable mental health disorders and addiction issues, they aren't really that much fun tbh!

nazmoalex

In these interviews by Letterman with Harris he had sobered up somewhat, from about '89 onwards I think. His swagger, and generally not carrying what others thought at this point was nearly as impressive as the tales from his hardcore drinking days.
Admittedly he looked like a hobo, wearing a rugby jersey with the tie for one of them.
He was honest enough in his assessment of the period where he took some really awful roles. I thought it was nice to see him land a part in a major picture(Harry Potter) before he passed. Redemption in a way for getting his life together

RobbingBandit

Irish Icon if even only for his turn as Bull McCabe

joe40

What is the difference between an alcoholic and a maverick?
I don't know, maybe a certain level of charisma or something.

RobbingBandit

Maverick can play cards and pull off wearing a cowboy ensemble

McGinniesta

Trigger Happy wrote: »

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

Nah. You'd want a few sneaky pints with nobody noticing you. Not that.

silliussoddius

Mad_maxx wrote: »

not forgetting Lee Marvin

Robert Shaw was also fond of a few.

chooseusername

Trigger Happy wrote: »

A night out with Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole would last a week. Be some craic though.

Oliver Reed was on the fiddle;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF0qr4q0mnM

nj27

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Probable mental health disorders and addiction issues, they aren't really that much fun tbh!

I get that, but as addicted as they clearly were they seemed to enjoy life. They were famous and well paid actors who studios probably bent over backwards for. A lot of the problems associated with addiction probably never reached through their wealth and fame (aside from their health and psychological issues of course). Would they have had better lives without alcohol? Probably. Did it ruin them? Not at all. Burton in particular had issues leading to his drinking, and obviously it ruined his health in the end, but he didn’t have a bad run at things.

Btw as a sober Joe I can’t believe I am defending serious alcoholics like these guys, but I have a weird fascination with actors of that era.

FTA69

Apparently Richard Harris had a burning hatred for the author Frank McCourt and tried to call him out once for a scrap. Said he was a fraud and a whinger I think.

Wanderer78

nj27 wrote: »

I get that, but as addicted as they clearly were they seemed to enjoy life. They were famous and well paid actors who studios probably bent over backwards for. A lot of the problems associated with addiction probably never reached through their wealth and fame (aside from their health and psychological issues of course). Would they have had better lives without alcohol? Probably. Did it ruin them? Not at all. Burton in particular had issues leading to his drinking, and obviously it ruined his health in the end, but he didn’t have a bad run at things.

Btw as a sober Joe I can’t believe I am defending serious alcoholics like these guys, but I have a weird fascination with actors of that era.

...but were they actually happy?

divillybit

https://youtu.be/cOU3gDncP4k

O Toole doing a rugby tackle on Harris!

nj27

Wanderer78 wrote: »

...but were they actually happy?

Honestly who knows. They were a different breed in many ways. Never to be repeated. If they showed up in Hollywood today they would be called fat, crazy, racist, and unemployable. But they made better movies than a lot of today’s actors. Were they happy? I sure hope so.

Housefree

FTA69 wrote: »

Apparently Richard Harris had a burning hatred for the author Frank McCourt and tried to call him out once for a scrap. Said he was a fraud and a whinger I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts1M_ef7B1o

Hyperbollix

Hyperbollix wrote: »

Have fallen down the youtube rabbit hole on a few occasions when it comes to interviews of the hellraiser lads. Interesting individuals...

It seemed that having come from no money and suddenly been catapulted into fame and fortune, their attitude was to grab it with both hands and keep hanging on til the wheels came off.

Harris' family were fairly wealthy I thought

whisky_galore

joe40 wrote: »

What is the difference between an alcoholic and a maverick?
I don't know, maybe a certain level of charisma or something.

Fame and money.
No fame or income and they're just another pathetic old soak. I'd say a lot of these lads were insufferable fight-picking cnuts, roaring like small bulls if all you wanted was a quiet pint.

odyssey06

Apparently Harris did a 1988 tv movie version of Maigret which was an absolute disaster. Pity, I wouldn't have minded catching a decent production of that. His 1980s film output is pretty much a writeoff so it was great to see him getting a second lease of life with The Field.

On the subject of booze and film stars..
I read a book about the first golden age of Hollywood, there was a big cull of actors and actresses during the switchover from silent movies to 'talkies'. If you'd been on a late night drinking session the day before, you couldn't hide it in your voice.
In the silent movie era with the heavy makeup, you could get away with a horrible hangover.

Wanderer78

whisky_galore wrote: »

Fame and money.
No fame or income and they're just another pathetic old soak. I'd say a lot of these lads were insufferable fight-picking cnuts, roaring like small bulls if all you wanted was a quiet pint.

..... and the reality being, all probably very difficult to deal with in private, very selfish, highly disrespectful and hurtful towards loved ones, its really not what its cracked up to be

breezy1985

Ronald Flaky Harpsichord wrote: »

Harris' family were fairly wealthy I thought

Yep which if true makes him calling McCourt a whinger a bit of a dick move

breezy1985

nj27 wrote: »

Honestly who knows. They were a different breed in many ways. Never to be repeated. If they showed up in Hollywood today they would be called fat, crazy, racist, and unemployable. But they made better movies than a lot of today’s actors. Were they happy? I sure hope so.

I don't remember any of those guys being fat or racist

odyssey06

Wanderer78 wrote: »

..... and the reality being, all probably very difficult to deal with in private, very selfish, highly disrespectful and hurtful towards loved ones, its really not what its cracked up to be

As wonderful as he was on screen, Keith Floyd followed the same trajectory by all accounts...

EmmetSpiceland

breezy1985 wrote: »

Yep which if true makes him calling McCourt a whinger a bit of a dick move

The fraud accusation holds, though.

tipptom

Housefree wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts1M_ef7B1o

Wow,that interview had everything including necrophilia

chooseusername

tipptom wrote: »

Wow,that interview had everything including necrophilia

Wasn't there a bit about sheep shagging as well?

breezy1985

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

The fraud accusation holds, though.

Hard to know. No one who remembered those times seemed to have an unbiased view about the stories or the state of the country at the time.

tdf7187

Bass Reeves wrote: »

The Clancy brothers were if much the same ilk but with a bit of music added

Mulligan and O'Hare got up to plenty of mischief in their time also.

EmmetSpiceland

breezy1985 wrote: »

Hard to know. No one who remembered those times seemed to have an unbiased view about the stories or the state of the country at the time.

I think a, large, number of McCourt’s “embellishments” have been soundly proven to be just that though. He would have been better off doing a “Roddy Doyle” on it and making it a work of fiction.

breezy1985

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

I think a, large, number of McCourt’s “embellishments” have been soundly proven to be just that though. He would have been better off doing a “Roddy Doyle” on it and making it a work of fiction.

The stories ya I don't doudt it but he got a lot of flack for painting Limerick as a miserable dump which I think we are now mature enough to admit all of Ireland was at the time.

Except for a few rich lads like Harris

nj27

breezy1985 wrote: »

I don't remember any of those guys being fat or racist

They aren't sh1thouse shredded the way actors are today, and if they said word 1 about any of their views on race in today's Hollywood there would be a twitter wide campaign to cancel them. Oh btw everyone who was born before 1980 is racist by today's standards.

EmmetSpiceland

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

The fraud accusation holds, though.

Yes, some really horrendous stuff really.

He could have just said it was fictional and it would still have been a great book.

breezy1985

nj27 wrote: »

They aren't sh1thouse shredded the way actors are today, and if they said word 1 about any of their views on race in today's Hollywood there would be a twitter wide campaign to cancel them. Oh btw everyone who was born before 1980 is racist by today's standards.

FFS does everything have to be a whinge these days about anti Woke SJW crap.


Just have a chat about Richard Harris and chill out

tipptom

breezy1985 wrote: »

The stories ya I don't doudt it but he got a lot of flack for painting Limerick as a miserable dump which I think we are now mature enough to admit all of Ireland was at the time.

Except for a few rich lads like Harris

Harris knew Angela very well and he was witness to Frank and Malachys really abusive treatment of her and actually physically attacked Malachy because the way he treated her in front of Harris one night.

The story McCourt made up about the young Carmody girl who was dying at the time was unforgivable and must be desperatly hurtful to the family to this day and he tried to row back on it then saying he made up the name

breezy1985

tipptom wrote: »

Harris knew Angela very well and he was witness to Frank and Malachys really abusive treatment of her and actually physically attacked Malachy because the way he treated her in front of Harris one night.

The story McCourt made up about the young Carmody girl who was dying at the time was unforgivable and must be desperatly hurtful to the family to this day and he tried to row back on it then saying he made up the name

I had never heard anything about Harris and the McCourts knowing each other before

Did he not just say he rode her. Might be true and whats so shameful bout ridin anyway.


To be honest I wouldnt know much about the whole thing outside of the fact that both McCourt and Hannan both seem to be spoofers from listening to them. I would have an interest in Limerick history bout couldnt care less about his personal story which is probably balls especially the saving everyone from the moneylender bit

Hamsterchops

chooseusername wrote: »

Oliver Reed was on the fiddle;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF0qr4q0mnM

Didn't spot him, must be s different video.