Richard Harrison, the actor best known for his roles in spaghetti Westerns and sword-and-sandal films, died last Friday at the age of 90. He passed away of natural causes in Los Angeles, according to producer and longtime friend Joan Borsten.
Harrison’s career took an unusual path. He arrived in Hollywood at 17, after working at gyms owned by Vic Tanny and Bert Goodrich and modeling for beefcake magazines. He took acting lessons at Fox Studios under Sandy Meisner, and his early film appearances included small parts in movies like Kronos (1957), Jeanne Eagels (1957), Too Much, Too Soon (1958), South Pacific (1958), and Tall Story (1960).
He found his first notable break in 1962 with The Invincible Gladiator. Harrison’s muscular physique earned him comparisons to Steve Reeves, and the film made him an instant leading man in Italy. His filmography rapidly expanded with titles such as Avenger of the Seven Seas and Gladiator 7 in 1963. That same year, he starred in Gunfight in the Red Sands, an Italian-Spanish spaghetti Western scored by Ennio Morricone.
Harrison’s reputation grew in Europe, but he turned down Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars in 1964. He said he recommended Clint Eastwood for the role of the unnamed stranger that launched Eastwood’s Hollywood career. Harrison’s own career in Italy included over 100 B-movies, many low-budget ninja films from Hong Kong during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Born in Salt Lake City on May 26, 1935, Harrison married Loretta Nicholson, the daughter of producer James H. Nicholson, in 1961 after working with her on Master of the World, starring Vincent Price. His relationships with Hollywood figures remained close. Borsten recalled that Harrison hosted industry dinners ending with “pasta at midnight” and counted Steve Reeves, George Cukor, Franco Nero, Gore Vidal, Troy Donahue, Tab Hunter, Stewart Stern, Al Bano, and Romina Power among his friends.
Harrison’s life was marked by moments of daring. In 1985, he helped Soviet actor Oleg Vidov defect at the U.S. embassy in Rome. Vidov, known as the “Russian Robert Redford,” married Borsten in 1989, and they remained together until Vidov’s death in 2017.
In 1986, Harrison and his second wife, Francesca, bought a property in Malibu with an infinity view of the Pacific. They built a home called Villa Francesca. Last year, the Palisades Fire destroyed the house. Harrison remarried in 1978 and is survived by three of his four children.
Borsten said that Harrison never let his fame go to his head, even in Italy where he was often recognized on the street. Instead, she said he viewed his career as an opportunity to see the world and meet interesting people. She recalled that when asked how he chose his next project, he would ask where it was shot and accept only if he hadn’t traveled there before. Once on the plane, he would finally read the script.
Harrison’s career reflected a man who embraced the unpredictable. His filmography spanned genres and continents, from muscleman epics to ninja flicks. He was 90 when he died, leaving behind a legacy of over 100 movies and a reputation for curiosity and resilience.
According to Hollywood Reporter.