Ed Harris Returns with New Roles in ‘Riff Raff’ and ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Ed Harris, a veteran actor known for his reliable performances, will grace the big screen in two new films debuting in theaters on Feb. 28. The New Jersey native stars in the crime comedy ‘Riff Raff,’ alongside a cast featuring Miles J. Harvey, and in the thoughtful comedy-drama ‘My Dead Friend Zoe,’ portraying a grandfather grappling with his grandson’s PTSD.

Both films were previously showcased at various film festivals and reflect Harris’s enduring talent, despite not being major studio productions. ‘Riff Raff’ was filmed in various locations across New Jersey, including Mahwah, Clark, and Bayonne, while ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’ melds humor with poignant themes of mental health.

At 74, Harris remains a reserved figure, choosing to step away from the limelight while focusing on his craft. He prefers to dedicate his energies to acting rather than media publicity. “I just come in, do the work, and go home to my wife, Amy Madigan,” he noted.

Harris’s journey into acting began after his college football career at Columbia University fell short. “By the end of freshman year, I realized my athletic career wasn’t going to go anywhere,” he recalled. This revelation led him to explore acting, where he found excitement and fulfillment. “It was for a lot of the reasons I’d enjoyed sports — the physicality of it, the focus of it,” he said. “And, also I’ve got to say, that approval, that attention, whatever. You score a touchdown and people clap, and you do a good job on stage and people clap — it’s pretty similar.”

After unearthing his passion for acting, Harris left Columbia before graduating and eventually earned a degree from The California Institute for the Arts in 1975. His career took off with notable roles, including the film ‘Knightriders’ in 1981 and the iconic ‘The Right Stuff‘ in 1984, which helped solidify his place in Hollywood. “That film put me on the map a little bit, I guess,” he stated.

Harris often seeks diverse and challenging roles rather than pursuing the conventional path of movie stardom. He has played a broad array of characters, from an abusive husband in ‘Sweet Dreams‘ to a nuanced depiction of flight director Gene Kranz in ‘Apollo 13.’ His roles explore both control and volatility, as evidenced by his complexity in ‘Pollock‘ and ‘The Truman Show.’

His directorial debut came with ‘Pollock,’ which allowed him to tap into his artistic side. By 2009, he directed ‘Appaloosa,’ a Western that defied contemporary trends. “I just wanted to tell this story — about people trying to live their lives and deal with their own feelings,” Harris said.

Throughout his career, Harris has earned four Academy Award nominations for his outstanding performances. Recently, he has continued to make his mark in cinema, appearing in films like ‘A History of Violence‘ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ This month, he also stars in a new adaptation of ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night‘ as the embittered patriarch.

“I guess I made some choices that were consciously away from Hollywood,” Harris reflected. “But back when I was 28, I told myself, I don’t want to be a big star. I just want to do good work. Of course, it’s not like I was saying no to a lot of big studio movies then, anyway.”

Undoubtedly, Ed Harris has established himself as a stalwart presence in the film industry, prioritizing integrity in his work over the pursuit of fame.