Nigel Harris (actor)
Encyclopedia
Nigel Harris is a British actor.
Harris was born in Grahamstown
, South Africa
. He is the son of the philosopher, Errol Harris
, and grandson of Samuel Harris, who with Cecil Rhodes was one of the defenders of Kimberly when the town was besieged during the Boer War
. He obtained a B.A. in Philosophy at Nottingham University in 1971, where he was the External Affairs Chairman of the Students’ Union. He trained as a drama teacher at Alsager College of Education (where he acted with and became close friends with Joe Leeway
, who later became one of The Thompson Twins
) in 1973 and as an actor at the Birmingham Theatre School
(where he was a contemporary of Toyah Wilcox) in 1976.
In film, he has worked with directors Federico Fellini
(playing Guianin Micheluzzi in La voce della luna
), Anton Corbijn
, and Asif Kapadia
. His theatre credits include working with the English fringe theatre company Foco Novo (which was set up by director Roland Rees and playwright Bernard Pomerance so as to produce Pomerance’s plays “Foco Novo” and “The Elephant Man”). For Foco Novo, Harris created the role of The Journeyman (a conflation of the fairground barker, the knife-supplying Jew, and various other characters) in Peter Hulton’s translation of “Woyzeck”. In the 1970s and 1980s, he worked at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
, creating the role of Abb in David Rudkin
’s “The Triumph of Death”. His performance in an episode of “The Bill” was shown on the 1990 BAFTA Awards program.
He lives in Nottingham, England, and from 2005 to 2007, was the chairman of the Midlands Area Committee of Equity, the British live arts trade union.
Harris was born in Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. He is the son of the philosopher, Errol Harris
Errol Harris
Errol Eustace Harris was a contemporary South African philosopher. His work focused on developing a systematic and coherent account of the logic, metaphysics, and epistemology implicit in contemporary understanding of the world...
, and grandson of Samuel Harris, who with Cecil Rhodes was one of the defenders of Kimberly when the town was besieged during the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
. He obtained a B.A. in Philosophy at Nottingham University in 1971, where he was the External Affairs Chairman of the Students’ Union. He trained as a drama teacher at Alsager College of Education (where he acted with and became close friends with Joe Leeway
Joe Leeway
Joseph Martin Leeway is the former multi-instrumentalist, and stylings guru, for the 1980s band, the Thompson Twins. Leeway joined the Thompson Twins in 1980 after being one of their roadies.-Career:...
, who later became one of The Thompson Twins
Thompson Twins
The Thompson Twins were a British pop group that were formed in April 1977 and disbanded in May 1993. They achieved considerable popularity in the mid 1980s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States and around the globe. The band was named after the two bumbling detectives...
) in 1973 and as an actor at the Birmingham Theatre School
Birmingham Theatre School
Birmingham Theatre School is a drama school, located in Birmingham, England.The school was founded by Sir Barry Jackson in the theatre that he built, namely the Old Rep Theatre, which was also the first Repertory Theatre in the world. The school now has over 250 students on a variety of full and...
(where he was a contemporary of Toyah Wilcox) in 1976.
In film, he has worked with directors Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
(playing Guianin Micheluzzi in La voce della luna
La voce della luna
The Voice of the Moon is a 1990 film by Italian director Federico Fellini, featuring actors Paolo Villaggio and Roberto Benigni. Returning to themes he first explored in La strada , Fellini crafts a parable on the whisperings of the soul that only madmen and vagabonds are capable of hearing...
), Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn
Anton Corbijn is a Dutch photographer, music video and film director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2, having handled the principal promotion and sleeve photography for both for more than a decade...
, and Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia is a British filmmaker of Indian descent. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief , winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior , which won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film and Senna , winner of the...
. His theatre credits include working with the English fringe theatre company Foco Novo (which was set up by director Roland Rees and playwright Bernard Pomerance so as to produce Pomerance’s plays “Foco Novo” and “The Elephant Man”). For Foco Novo, Harris created the role of The Journeyman (a conflation of the fairground barker, the knife-supplying Jew, and various other characters) in Peter Hulton’s translation of “Woyzeck”. In the 1970s and 1980s, he worked at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
, creating the role of Abb in David Rudkin
David Rudkin
James David Rudkin is an English playwright of Northern Irish descent. Coming from a family of strict evangelical Christians, Rudkin was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham and read Mods and Greats at St Catherine's College, Oxford...
’s “The Triumph of Death”. His performance in an episode of “The Bill” was shown on the 1990 BAFTA Awards program.
He lives in Nottingham, England, and from 2005 to 2007, was the chairman of the Midlands Area Committee of Equity, the British live arts trade union.