Jared Francis Harris was born in London, England. He is the son of Irish actor Richard Harris and Welsh actress Elizabeth Harris (Elizabeth Rees), and brother of Damian Harris and Jamie Harris. Despite his lineage, Jared showed little interest in becoming an actor, until he was cast in a college production while attending North Carolina's Duke University (USA), where he studied drama and literature, in the early 1980s.
After graduation, Jared returned to the UK where he attended Central School of Speech and Drama, along such future stars as Jason Isaacs and James Nesbitt. After graduation, Jared joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in Mark Rylance's Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, the Silent Woman and A Clockwork Orange. In 1989, he had his screen debut in Le dossier Rachel (1989).
In 1990, while on vacation in New York, Jared auditioned for the role of Hotspur in Henry IV part 1, which he played at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Still in New York, Jared appeared in the off-Broadway play Ecstasy, for which he won an Obie Award in 1992.
In 1996, he won recognition by playing famous pop artist Andy Warhol in I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). After that success, Jared has gone on to many independent films, with a few titles being: Tueurs nés (1994), Smoke (1995), Happiness (1998), Comment tuer le chien de son voisin (2000), Igby (2002), B. Monkey (1998), Shadow Magic (2000) and VH1's Two of Us (2000) where he portrayed John Lennon.
He has also starred in blockbusters movies, including: Le dernier des Mohicans (1992), Les aventures de Mister Deeds (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), L'étrange histoire de Benjamin Button (2008), Sherlock Holmes: Jeu d'ombres (2011), Lincoln (2012).
And has created memorable characters on such popular TV shows as: The Riches (2007), Fringe (2008), Mad Men (2007).
Jared is married to Allegra Riggio, a well-known lighting designer and TV host.
