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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Niamh Spence

Dumbledore actor Richard Harris' son found him face down in a pound of coke

Hollywood legend Richard Harris was reportedly found face down snorting cocaine by his son Jamie at the height of his excessive lifestyle.

Harris, who became known for roles including Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies, died of cancer in October 2002. Rising to fame in the 1960s and 1970s, Harris openly spoke about his hedonistic nature.

In 1960, Harris said: " I’m an excessive person. I can resist my first drink but not the second."

His three sons actor Jamie, BAFTA winning actor Jared and director Damian have now revealed the late actor's incredible life. The three brothers describe his life in a tell-all documentary for Sky which discusses the star's career, divorce and wild partying.

Richard Harris admitted to living a life of excessiveness (Daily Mirror)

The Sky Arts film The Ghost Of Richard Harris will air from Saturday 19 November, and will be available on Sky Arts and Freeview.

The documentary gives an honest look at the Oscar nominated actor's life, as seen by his three sons. Whilst there were heartwarming moments, the film also reveals the extent of Harris' excessive lifestyle.

Speaking to camera in the documentary, youngest son Jamie recalls: "I walked into his bedroom and it was like a scene from Scarface.

"He’d dropped this pound of cocaine on the carpet and it had burst open and his face was just in the middle of it. He was unpredictable."

The new Sky Arts documentary film will reveal the true extent of Richard Harris' wild life (Mirrorpix)

In another anecdote, son Jared describes how a 70-year-old Harris got into a punch up in a bar. He said: "Dad hits the guy with a sucker punch. He pretends to put his Guinness down and then leaps up and knocks the man out.

"The guy’s out cold on the floor and his girlfriend’s dancing around, saying, 'You killed my boyfriend'.

Harris in 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PA)

"So Dad throws his Guinness in the guy’s face and, when he starts to wake, realises, 'I’m not going to win round two, I have to run out of here quickly'."

Harris spent more than ten years working as an actor in England before finding fame as the star of 1963 film This Sporting Life.

Harris died in October 2002 from cancer (Daily Mirror)

The breakout role saw him earn an Oscar nomination, before going on to star in classic movies such as The Heroes Of Telemark, Camelot and A Man Called Horse.

After finding fame, Harris had made firm friends with other wild and hedonistic stars of the 60s and 70s including actors Richard Burton and Pete O'Toole as well as footballer George Best.

Harris once confessed: "When I drank I devoured alcohol. When I did coke I devoured coke. When I went on my amorous exploits I devoured women."

The documentary will be told via his sons BAFTA Award-winning actor Jared Harris, actor Jamie Harris and director Damian Harris (Sky UK)

Even when divorcing his ex-wife and mother of his sons Elizabeth after 12 years of marriage, Harris celebrated with a booze, sex and drugs filled celebration across Europe.

Despite hedonistic and wild days, Harris is described as having a zest for life by his sons. Jared, who is also an actor, explained: "He loved life, he enjoyed the tempest of life. I felt there was some part of him that didn’t want to leave yet."

The Ghost Of Richard Harris is available on Sky Arts and Freeview from Saturday.

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