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