Age: 64
male
Jared Francis Harris (born August 24, 1961) is a British actor who has appeared in film, television, and theater. He is the son of the late Irish actor Richard Harris and the Welsh actress Elizabeth Rees-Williams. Harris was born in Hammersmith, London, in 1961. He studied drama and literature at Duke University in North Carolina, and then went on to train at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Harris made his film debut in 1989 with a small role in the film The Rachel Papers. He went on to appear in a number of films, including The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994), Smoke (1995), Happiness (1998), and How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000). In 2007, Harris began a recurring role as Lane Pryce in the 2007 AMC television series Mad Men and was received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his performance. In 2019, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance as Valery Legasov in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. Harris has also had notable roles in television series such as Fringe (2008), The Crown (2016), The Expanse (2015) and Foundation (2021). On stage, Harris has appeared in productions of The Crucible, The Cherry Orchard, and The Homecoming. He has also directed several stage productions, including The Glass Menagerie and The Birthday Party.
The Fountainhead follows Howard Roark, an idealistic and uncompromising architect who refuses to conform to conventional design principles or social expectations. Roark's unwavering commitment to his artistic vision puts him at odds with the architectural establishment, particularly the influential critic Ellsworth Toohey, who represents collectivist mediocrity. As Roark struggles to build his career on his own terms, he becomes entangled with Dominique Francon, a woman of wealth and beauty who is drawn to his integrity despite her own cynicism about the world. Their passionate and complex relationship unfolds against a backdrop of professional rivalry, betrayal, and moral compromise. The novel explores themes of individual achievement versus social conformity, the nature of genius, and the cost of maintaining one's principles in a world that demands compromise. Through Roark's journey from obscurity to vindication, Ayn Rand presents a philosophical argument for rational self-interest and the supremacy of individual will. The story culminates in a dramatic trial that forces society to confront the value of uncompromising excellence and the destructive nature of enforced mediocrity.
