Richard St John Harris (Limerick, October 1, 1930 – London, October 25, 2002) was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, and director. An intense and versatile performer, he emerged in the 1960s as one of the leading figures of British cinema. His career took off with the film *This Sporting Life* (1963), for which he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and his first Academy Award nomination. His most famous roles include King Arthur in the musical *Camelot* (1967), which earned him a Golden Globe Award, and the lead in *A Man Called Horse* (1970). He also had a notable musical career, culminating in the international success of the song "MacArthur Park." After a period of lower visibility, he returned to prominence with his powerful performance in *The Field* (1990), earning a second Academy Award nomination. In his later years, he played Emperor Marcus Aurelius in *Gladiator* (2000) and became known to a global audience as Albus Dumbledore in the first two films of the *Harry Potter* series, his final film role.