Jared Harris movies and TV shows span a career that runs from a 1989 screen debut in The Rachel Papers to current leading work in Apple TV+’s Foundation. Along the way, he has built a reputation as one of Britain’s most versatile character actors, moving between blockbusters, prestige television, and stage work with equal ease .
Harris was born in London on August 24, 1961, the son of actor Richard Harris. He studied drama and literature at Duke University before returning to England to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in productions of Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, and A Clockwork Orange .
His screen career began with The Rachel Papers in 1989, followed by a memorable turn as a British lieutenant in Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans in 1992. A breakthrough arrived in 1996 when he portrayed Andy Warhol in I Shot Andy Warhol, a performance that brought him wider attention and established his talent for playing real-life figures .
The following decades saw Harris become a dependable presence in major studio films. He appeared in Lost in Space (1998), Mr. Deeds (2002), and Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004). He played Captain Mike in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Ulysses S. Grant in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012) .
His most recognizable film role may be Professor James Moriarty in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011). Harris brought a cold, calculating menace to the iconic villain opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. He also voiced Lord Portley-Rind in the animated feature The Boxtrolls (2014) .
On television, Harris delivered one of his most acclaimed performances as Lane Pryce in AMC’s Mad Men. He joined the series in 2009 and remained through the character’s tragic exit in 2012, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series . He also appeared in Fringe as the recurring antagonist David Robert Jones .Quick Bio: Jared Harris
In 2016, Harris took on the role of King George VI in the first season of Netflix’s The Crown. His portrayal of the reluctant monarch anchored the series’ opening chapter, and he received a BAFTA Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor . The following year, he played Captain Francis Crozier in AMC’s The Terror, a performance that earned a Satellite Award nomination .
The role that solidified Harris as a leading television actor was Valery Legasov in HBO’s Chernobyl (2019). The five-part miniseries dramatized the 1986 nuclear disaster and the Soviet cover-up that followed. Harris won the BAFTA TV Award for Leading Actor in 2020 for his performance, and received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie .
Harris spoke about the responsibility of portraying Legasov, a real scientist whose warnings were suppressed. “I did lots of research,” he told the Television Academy. “It’s a true story so you dig in to all that available material because it provides you with a shortcut to all the questions that you have” . He also noted the difficulty of finding information on Legasov, saying, “Somebody did a brilliant job of erasing him from the story” .
Since 2021, Harris has starred as Hari Seldon in Apple TV+’s Foundation, based on Isaac Asimov’s novels. The series has run for multiple seasons, with Harris appearing across seasons one through three . He has also had recurring roles in The Expanse and Carnival Row .
More recent film work includes Morbius (2022), The Sea Beast (2022), and Brave the Dark (2023) . Deadline reported in May 2025 that Harris had completed work on the Cold War drama Reykjavík and an untitled Kathryn Bigelow project for Netflix . His upcoming credits include A House of Dynamite (2025) and Violent Night 2 (2026) .
Beyond acting, Harris directed the “Time & Life” episode of Mad Men’s final season, a notable expansion of his creative role on the series . He also executive produced The Ghost of Richard Harris, a documentary about his father that premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival .
Harris’s career is defined less by a single signature role than by the consistency of his choices. He has moved from Shakespearean stages to comic-book villains, from Soviet scientists to British kings. That range has made him a favorite of directors as varied as Fincher, Spielberg, Ritchie, and Bigelow, and a reliable anchor for any production fortunate enough to cast him.
What is Jared Harris best known for?
Jared Harris is best known for his roles as Lane Pryce in Mad Men and Valery Legasov in Chernobyl . He also gained wide recognition as Professor James Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and as King George VI in The Crown .
Did Jared Harris win any awards for Chernobyl?
Yes. Harris won the BAFTA TV Award for Leading Actor in 2020 for his portrayal of Valery Legasov in Chernobyl . He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for the same role .
What TV shows has Jared Harris appeared in?
Beyond Mad Men and Chernobyl, Harris has starred in The Crown as King George VI, The Terror as Captain Francis Crozier, and Foundation as Hari Seldon . He also had recurring roles in Fringe and The Expanse .
Did Jared Harris direct any episodes of Mad Men?
Yes. Harris directed the episode “Time & Life” in the final season of Mad Men, in addition to having starred in the series .
