But most importantly, he got his discipline back. but everywhere else it consistently broke box-office records. He toured all around the United States, Australia, Canada. IвЂ™m not replacing him unless he calls me.вЂќ And Burton called him up and said, вЂњIвЂ™m in agony.вЂќДЇour days later, Richard was in and he owned a piece of the show and all the merchandise. So the producers reached out to Richard and he said, вЂњIвЂ™m best friends with Richard. Which meant that four-fifths of the audience walked out. He had to stop halfway through, and put the understudy on. It was fucking ballsy, but what happens there in that Pirandello is impossible without doing вЂњCamelotвЂќ for 10 years.Д«ack in the early вЂ™80s, when Richard Burton was touring with вЂњCamelot,вЂќ he started to have this terrible pain in his shoulder. I will never forget the courage of that performance and the risk he took with the audience. вЂњAre you laughing at me? You! IвЂ™m talking to you!вЂќ And he has this amazing speech in the play. He says, in essence, вЂњIвЂ™m so fucking bored with all of this.вЂќ The character in the play has been pretending to be crazy. Then Henry comes back from behind a pillar, pulls the cloth off and the wig and the makeup is gone. The court is discussing whatвЂ™s happened so far. Then halfway through the second act thereвЂ™s a big turn in the play. He was so great when he was younger.вЂќ The other says, вЂњIf itвЂ™s just as bad in the next act, weвЂ™ll leave.вЂќ I hear a couple discussing what theyвЂ™ve seen. He comes in from a door where no oneвЂ™s expecting him, and heвЂ™s over-made up. It seems like forever before he comes on in the last 10 minutes of the first act. HereвЂ™s what he did: The play opens with a long preamble. I saw that play 20 or 30 times on the road and believe me, it was electric. And I saw exactly how he worked in the Pirandello. My fatherвЂ™s power as a screen actor was clear to everyone in the вЂ™60s and вЂ™70s, but he had to renew that gift and the way he did it was onstage. вЂњWhatвЂ™s good to see?вЂќ And someone said, вЂњYouвЂ™ve got to see Richard Harris in the Pirandello вЂњHenry IV.вЂќ An Australian woman at the table asked, вЂњDoes anyone take him seriously anymore?вЂќ One asked about the current theater scene. I remember I was having dinner, and there were some new people at the table. ItвЂ™s going to stand alongside Peter OвЂ™TooleвЂ™s вЂњMacbeth,вЂќ but at the time, after heвЂ™d gone through two directors and was on his third leading lady, word was drifting through the West End: вЂњItвЂ™s going to be a disaster.вЂќ Then he does PirandelloвЂ™s вЂњHenry IVвЂќ on stage. This comes to a head in the вЂ™90s when heвЂ™s not that interested in the stuff that heвЂ™s being offered. At the detriment of him being taken seriously as an actor. He understood the outrageous stories and behavior, not playing by the rules, fed an image that the press would print. Jared Harris on:Дamian once said, вЂњHe sort of did it to himself.вЂќ Here are their memories of Richard Harris as an engaged father, brilliant actor, often-irascible raconteur and all-around unforgettable personality. TheyвЂ™re also at work on the production of a documentary about their fatherвЂ™s life and work. Their plans include вЂњBrave the Dark,вЂќ the first film outing to bring them all together with Damian directing and Jared and Jamie co-starring. To commemorate HarrisвЂ™ birthday, Variety reached out to his sons, director Damian and actors Jared and Jamie.

Richard harris films