By transforming into his characters and pulling the audience in, Ed Harris has earned the reputation as one of the most talented actors of our time. Born in Tenafly, New Jersey, Harris grew up as the middle child. After graduating high school, he attended New York's Columbia University, where he played football. After viewing local theater productions, Harris took a sudden interest in acting. He left Columbia, headed to Oklahoma, where his parents were living, and enrolled in the University of Oklahoma's theater department. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to find work. He started acting in theater and television guest spots. Harris landed his first leading role in a film in cult-favorite George A. Romero's Knightriders (1981). Two years later, he got his first taste of critical acclaim, playing astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983). Also that year, he made his New York stage debut in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love", a performance that earned him an Obie for Outstanding Actor. Harris' career gathered momentum after that. In 2000, he made his debut as a director in the Oscar-winning film Pollock (2000).

1. Pain and Gain (2013) - Actor 2. Man on a Ledge (Dreptate la înălţime) (2012) - David Englander

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3. Game Change (2012) - John McCain 4. Salvation Boulevard (2011) - Dr. Paul Blaylock

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5. That's What I Am (2011) - Mr. Simon

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6. The Way Back (2010) - Mr. Smith

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7. Appaloosa (2008) - Virgil Cole 8. Appaloosa (2008) - (screenplay) 9. Appaloosa (2008) - Regizor 10. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) - Mitch Wilkinson

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11. Gone Baby Gone (2007) - Remy Bressant

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12. Copying Beethoven (2006) - Ludwig van Beethoven 13. Michael Moore, el gran agitador (2004) - Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) 14. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) - Other Voices (voice) 15. Masked and Anonymous (2003) - Oscar Vogel 16. Volcanoes of the Deep Sea (2003) - Narrator 17. The Human Stain (2003) - Lester Farley 18. The Hours (2002) - Richard Brown 19. A Beautiful Mind (2001) - Parcher 20. Enemy at the Gates (2001) - Major König 21. Buffalo Soldiers (2001) - Colonel Berman 22. Waking the Dead (2000) - Jerry Charmichael 23. Jackson Pollock: Love and Death on Long Island (1999) - Himself 24. The Truman Show (1998) - Christof 25. Stepmom (1998) - Luke Harrison 26. Sean Connery Close Up (1997) - Himself 27. Riders of the Purple Sage (1996) - Jim Lassiter, Milly Erne's Brother 28. The Rock (1996) - Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel 29. Apollo 13 (1995) - Gene Kranz 30. Milk Money (1994) - Tom Wheeler 31. Needful Things (1993) - Sheriff Alan Pangborn 32. The Firm (1993) - Wayne Tarrance 33. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) - Dave Moss 34. State of Grace (1990) - Frankie Flannery 35. The Abyss (1989) - Virgil 'Bud' Brigman 36. Jacknife (1989) - David 'High School' Flannigan 37. To Kill a Priest (1988) - Stefan 38. The Right Stuff (1983) - John Glenn 39. Creepshow (1982) - Hank Blaine (segment "Father's Day") 40. The Seekers (1979) - Lieutenant William Clark

1. He won an Obie for "Fool For Love."

2. Educated at Columbia University, New York.

3. Graduated from Tenafly High School in Tenafly, New Jersey. Other graduates have included Carol Potter and Michael Sorvino.

4. Daughter Lily Dolores Harris born on 3 May 1993.

5. He and Amy Madigan were married by a justice of the peace in Waxahachie, Texas, during the filming of Places in the Heart (1984).

6. His father was a singer with the Fred Waring chorus.

7. Often called "the thinking woman's sex symbol".

8. To learn how to paint in Jackson Pollock's style and portray his art in the film Pollock (2000), he had a studio built on his property and spent some time painting and working on Pollock pieces.

9. Credits acting for helping him get over his shyness as a young man.

10. Was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People (2001)

11. Due to injuries he sustained while filming The Abyss (1989), he was almost unable to accept the role of Frankie Flannery in State of Grace (1990).

12. Originated the role of "Eddie" in the stage production of "Fool for Love" by Sam Shepard. He later worked with Shepard himself in The Right Stuff (1983) and then Shepard went on to succeed him in the film adaptation of the play.

13. Was set to star in the Danny Boyle's firefighter drama "Worcester Cold Storage" with Woody Harrelson, but the project never came to fruition.

14. In 1973, he moved to California and entered the California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.

15. Was nominated for Broadway's 1986 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for "Precious Sons."

16. He has a brother living in Norman, Oklahoma - where Ed attended the University of Oklahoma.

17. Son-in-law of John Madigan.

18. Has appeared in 3 films based on Stephen King stories: Creepshow (1982), Needful Things (1993) and "The Stand" (1994).

19. Has three films on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: A Beautiful Mind (2001) at #93, The Right Stuff (1983) at #19, and Apollo 13 (1995) at #12.

20. Good friends with Fred Ward.

21. Received an honorary diploma from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003.

22. One of his favorite books is John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath.

23. He says his most embarrassing moment was modeling tuxedos at the Oklahoma State Fair in 1971.

24. A veteran stage actor, he made his European debut in Ireland in 2006 with Neil LaBute's Wrecks.

25. Lives in Malibu, California.

26. Is a fan of "Father Ted" (1995).

27. Admitted in a Movieline Interview that he would have loved to play "Jesus Christ" in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and "Hannibal Lecter" in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).