Rosemary Harris
Born
September 19, 1927 (97 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Suffolk, England, UK
Rosemary Harris (born September 19, 1927) is a distinguished English actress with a career spanning over seven decades. Renowned for her work in theater, film, and television, she has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe. Harris is perhaps best known to modern audiences for her portrayal of Aunt May in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007).
Her illustrious stage career includes a Tony Award for Best Actress for her role as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (1966). She has also been nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Tom & Viv (1994). Harris was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1986 and received a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.
Born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England, Harris trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She has been celebrated for her versatility and emotive performances, making her a beloved figure in the world of performing arts.
Rosemary Harris is married to the late American novelist John Ehle, who passed away in 2018. Together, they have a daughter, Jennifer Ehle, who is a celebrated actress known for her roles in Pride and Prejudice (1995) and The King's Speech (2010). Harris's family has been deeply involved in the arts, with her husband contributing significantly to Appalachian literature and her daughter excelling in film, television, and theater.
Known For
Oscar Wilde About America
2025
Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
Self (archive footage)
2022
The Undoing
Janet Fraser · (1 episode)
2020
How Holocaust came to Television
Self
2019
Broadway: The Next Generation
Self
2017
Search Party
Beatrice · (2 episodes)
2016
The von Trapp Family: A Life of Music
Older Agathe von Trapp
2015
This Means War
Nana Foster
2012
Radio Free Albemuth
VALIS (voice)
2010
The Fall
a reporter
2009
Is Anybody There?
Elsie
2009
The Monday Before Thanksgiving
Lillian Cotlo
2008
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Nanette Hanson
2007
Spider-Man 3
May Parker
2007
Belonging
May Copplestone
2004
Being Julia
Julia's Mother
2004
Spider-Man 2
May Parker
2004
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Self
2003
Spider-Man
May Parker
2002
Behind the Ultimate Spin: The Making of 'Spider-Man'
Self
2002
Blow Dry
Daisy
2001
The Gift
Annie's Granny
2000
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Francine Brooks · (1 episode)
1999
Sunshine
Valerie Sors
1999
My Life So Far
Gamma MacIntosh
1999
Hamlet
Player Queen
1996
Looking for Richard
Self - Interviewee
1996
The Little Riders
Grandma Roden
1996
Death of a Salesman
Linda
1996
A Summer Day's Dream
1994
Tom & Viv
Rose Haigh-Wood
1994
The Camomile Lawn
Calypso (older) · (5 episodes)
1992
The Bridge
Aunt Jude
1992
Performance
Margaret Dawlish · (1 episode)
1991
Crossing Delancey
Pauline Swift
1988
Strange Interlude
Mrs. Amos Evans
1988
The Ploughman's Lunch
Ann Barrington
1983
To the Lighthouse
Mrs. Ramsay
1983
The Chisholms
Minerva Chisholm · (13 episodes)
1979
The Boys from Brazil
Mrs. Doring
1978
Holocaust
Berta Palitz Weiss · (4 episodes)
1978
The Royal Family
Julie Cavendish
1977
Notorious Woman
George Sand · (7 episodes)
1974
Great Performances
Hesione Hushabye · (1 episode)
1971
Great Performances
Adela Shannon · (1 episode)
1971
A Flea in Her Ear
Gabrielle Chandebisse
1968
CBS Playhouse
(1 episode)
1966
Blithe Spirit
Elvira Condomine
1966
Profiles in Courage
Mary S. McDowell · (1 episode)
1964
Uncle Vanya
Yelena
1963
Wuthering Heights
Catherine Earnshaw
1958
Twelfth Night
Viola
1957
Suspicion
Sybil Merton · (1 episode)
1957
DuPont Show of the Month
Lady Edith · (1 episode)
1957
DuPont Show of the Month
Lucie Manette · (1 episode)
1957
The Shiralee
Lily Parker
1957
Othello
Desdemona
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Louise Rogers · (1 episode)
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Louise Rogers / Countess Helen Mattoni · (1 episode)
1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Dorothy Whitely · (1 episode)
1955
Beau Brummell
Mrs. Fitzherbert
1954
Omnibus
(1 episode)
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Viola · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Margot Wendice · (1 episode)
1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Elvira · (1 episode)
1951
Studio One
Nora Marsh · (1 episode)
1948