Ed Harris is renowned for his compelling performances across a spectrum of genres, from intense dramas and gripping thrillers to thought-provoking sci-fi and biographical films. His career spanning decades has established him as one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors, consistently delivering memorable characters that resonate with audiences. Whether portraying complex historical figures, troubled artists, or enigmatic leaders, Harris brings a depth and authenticity to each role that elevates the storytelling.
In this list, we delve into 10 of Ed Harris’s standout movies, each showcasing his remarkable talent and range as an actor. From his early breakthrough roles to later directorial efforts, these films not only highlight Harris’s acting prowess but also explore themes of human resilience, moral complexity, and the pursuit of truth. Join us as we celebrate Ed Harris’s cinematic journey through some of his most impactful and unforgettable performances.
- The Truman Show (1998)
- Genre: Comedy/Drama/Sci-Fi
- Synopsis: Harris plays Christof, the creator and director of a reality TV show that follows the life of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), who begins to question his reality when he discovers his life is a carefully orchestrated television show.
- Apollo 13 (1995)
- Genre: Drama/History
- Synopsis: Harris portrays Gene Kranz, the determined NASA Flight Director who leads the mission control team in the dramatic rescue of the Apollo 13 astronauts after an oxygen tank explosion jeopardizes their return to Earth.
- A Beautiful Mind (2001)
- Genre: Biography/Drama
- Synopsis: Harris delivers a poignant performance as William Parcher, a mysterious government agent who recruits mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) for secret government work, unknowingly exacerbating Nash’s struggles with paranoid schizophrenia.
- The Abyss (1989)
- Genre: Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi
- Synopsis: In this underwater science fiction adventure directed by James Cameron, Harris stars as Bud Brigman, an oil rig worker and leader of a deep-sea drilling team who encounters mysterious and unexplained phenomena while investigating a sunken nuclear submarine.
- Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
- Genre: Drama/Crime
- Synopsis: Harris shines as Dave Moss, a desperate real estate salesman caught up in a cutthroat competition to survive in a ruthless sales office, based on David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
- Pollock (2000)
- Genre: Biography/Drama
- Synopsis: Harris stars in and directs this biographical drama about artist Jackson Pollock, exploring Pollock’s turbulent life, artistic genius, and struggles with alcoholism while pioneering the abstract expressionist movement in American art.
- The Hours (2002)
- Genre: Drama/Romance
- Synopsis: Harris portrays Richard Brown, a poet dying of AIDS, whose life intertwines with the stories of three women across different time periods as they grapple with themes of love, loss, and identity in this contemplative drama.
- Enemy at the Gates (2001)
- Genre: War/Drama/History
- Synopsis: Harris plays Major Erwin König, a skilled German sniper engaged in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev (Jude Law) during the Battle of Stalingrad, highlighting the psychological and tactical warfare of World War II.
- Appaloosa (2008)
- Genre: Western/Crime
- Synopsis: Harris co-stars and directs this Western film as Virgil Cole, a stoic and skilled gunslinger who, alongside his partner Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), is hired to bring order to a lawless New Mexico town controlled by a ruthless rancher.
- Snowpiercer (2013)
- Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Drama
- Synopsis: Harris appears as Wilford, the enigmatic creator and overseer of a perpetual-motion train carrying the last remnants of humanity after a global catastrophe has frozen the Earth. The film explores class struggle and social hierarchy aboard the train as passengers from different socioeconomic backgrounds fight for survival and control.