Leonard Harris (September 27, 1929 – August 28, 2011) was an American actor, critic and author. Despite his short acting career, he is well-known for his roles as Senator Charles Palantine in Taxi Driver (1976) and the mayor in Hero at Large (1980).
Early life and education Leonard Jerome Harris was born in the Bronx, New York City, on September 27, 1929. He graduated from City College and served in the U.S. Army at Fort Dix during the Korean War.
Career Harris began his career writing obituaries and book reviews for the Hartford Courant in 1958. In 1966, he became a culture critic at WCBS-TV in New York City, a position he held until 1974. He had three novels published and worked as a television writer later in his career. He served on the Tony Award Nominating Committee in the later 1980s and early 1990s.
Harris also played the mayor in a 1980 romantic comedy, Hero at Large. His first novel, The Masada Plan, was called "gripping, fast-moving, expertly engineered" by the novelist Meyer Levin in The New York Times Book Review. A fourth novel was published posthumously.
Personal life In 1961, Harris married Mary Ann Wurth. They had two children, Sarah and David Harris. They divorced in 1973. He also had homes in Stanfordville, N.Y. and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Death Harris died on August 28, 2011, in Hartford, Connecticut, aged 81, from complications of pneumonia.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1976 Taxi Driver Senator Charles Palantine 1980 Hero at Large Mayor (final film role)
Television Year Title Role Notes1967Eye on ArtNarratorDocumentary seriesEpisode: "The Walls Come Tumbling Down"1973What's My Line?Himself1 episode
Bibliography
References
External links
William Goldman's comments on Harris' role as theater critic