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Crowe unveils statue of hellraising Irish co-star Harris
2006-09-30
Actor Russell Crowe unveiled a statue in memory of his hell-raising "Gladiator" co-star Richard Harris in Ireland. Crowe, famed for his bad-boy reputation as well as performances such as "A Beautiful Mind," described Harris as "a very good friend" as he performed the ceremony in Kilkee, County Clare, in the west of Ireland. Harris, star of "This Sporting Life" and latterly Dumbledore in the first two "Harry Potter" movies, died in 2002 aged 72. The two actors first met on the set of "Gladiator," for which New Zealand-Australian Crowe won a best actor Oscar, in 1999. Paying tribute to Harris, Crowe said: "Richard was a great guy and he was a very good friend. "I met Richard at a time in his life when he was probably reflective of what he had done over the time he had spent on the planet. "He very kindly passed a lot of wisdom on to me." Irishman Harris, a contemporary of actors such as Peter O'Toole, was notorious for his lavish lifestyle and capacity for alcohol but gave up drinking in the 1980s. Crowe was charged with assault after throwing a telephone at a New York hotel employee in 2005. He was given a conditional release. The life-size bronze statue depicts Harris playing racquet-ball as he often played the sport while holidaying in Kilkee. Harris's three sons, including actor Jared Harris, were also in attendance. Muzi.com News
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