Thomas Harris

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Thomas Harris
BornWilliam Thomas Harris III
(1940-09-22) September 22, 1940 (age 83)
Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
Alma mater Baylor University
Period1975–present
GenreCrime, horror, suspense
Notable works Black Sunday
Red Dragon
The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal
Hannibal Rising
Cari Mora
Spouse
Harriet Anne Haley
​
​
(m. 1961;div. 1968)​
PartnerPace Barnes
Children1

William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) [1] is an American writer, best known for a series of suspense novels about his most famous character, Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, most notably The Silence of the Lambs , which became only the third film in Academy Awards history to sweep the Oscars in all of the five major categories. [2]

Contents

His novels have sold more than 50 million copies, with The Silence of the Lambs alone selling 10 million copies, as of 2019.

Biography

Harris was born in Jackson, Tennessee, [3] but moved as a child with his family to Rich, Mississippi. He was introverted and bookish in grade school and then blossomed in high school. [4] He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he majored in English and graduated in 1964. While in college, he worked as a reporter for the local newspaper, the Waco Tribune-Herald , covering the police beat. In 1968, he moved to New York City to work for the Associated Press until 1974 when he began work on his debut novel, Black Sunday . [2]

Personal life

Harris avoids publicity and conducted few interviews between 1976 and 2019. [5] [6] [7] At Baylor University, he met and married Harriet Anne Haley, a fellow student, in June 1961. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Anne, before they divorced in August 1968. [8] Harris remained close to his mother Polly and called her every night no matter where he was. He often discussed particular scenes from his novels with her. [9] Polly died on December 31, 2011. [10]

Harris lives in South Florida and has a summer home in Sag Harbor, New York. [7] His long-term domestic partner is Pace Barnes, a woman who, according to USA Today , "used to work in publishing and is as outgoing as he is quiet". [11] Harris' friend and literary agent Morton Janklow said of him: "He's one of the good guys. He is big, bearded and wonderfully jovial. If you met him, you would think he was a choirmaster. He loves cooking—he's done the Le Cordon Bleu exams—and it's great fun to sit with him in the kitchen while he prepares a meal and see that he's as happy as a clam. He has these old-fashioned manners, a courtliness you associate with the South." [9]

In his first major interview in 43 years, with The New York Times in 2019 to promote Cari Mora , he revealed himself to be a nature lover, and a long-time visitor and volunteer of the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, an animal rescue center in Miami, Florida, for 20 years. The staff were not aware of who Harris was until a few years prior to when the interview was conducted. [12] He described fame as "more of a nuisance than anything else". [12]

Approach to writing and critical reception

Fellow novelist Stephen King remarked that if writing is sometimes tedious for other authors, to Harris it is like "writhing on the floor in agonies of frustration", because for Harris, "the very act of writing is a kind of torment". Novelist John Dunning said of Harris, "All he is is a talent of the first rank." [13] In 2019, he elaborated on his process, as well as the difficulty, describing it as "passive [...], sometimes you really have to shove and grunt and sweat. Some days you go to your office and you're the only one who shows up, none of the characters show up, and you sit there by yourself, feeling like an idiot. And some days everybody shows up ready to work. You have to show up at your office every day. If an idea comes by, you want to be there to get it in." [12]

Bibliography

Hannibal Lecter novels

  1. Red Dragon (1981)
  2. The Silence of the Lambs (1988)
  3. Hannibal (1999)
  4. Hannibal Rising (2006; prequel)

Filmography

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> (film) 1991 horror film by Jonathan Demme

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Ted Tally, adapted from Thomas Harris's 1988 novel of the same name. It stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer named "Buffalo Bill", who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film also features performances from Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, and Kasi Lemmons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannibal Lecter</span> Character created by Thomas Harris

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character created by the American novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a serial killer who eats his victims. Before his capture, he was a respected forensic psychiatrist; after his incarceration, he is consulted by FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling to help them find other serial killers.

<i>Hannibal</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Ridley Scott

Hannibal is a 2001 American psychological horror crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and based on the 1999 novel by Thomas Harris. A sequel to the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, the plot follows disgraced FBI special agent Clarice Starling as she attempts to apprehend cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter before his surviving victim, Mason Verger, captures him. Anthony Hopkins reprises his role as Lecter, while Julianne Moore replaces Jodie Foster as Starling and Gary Oldman plays Verger. Ray Liotta, Frankie R. Faison, Giancarlo Giannini, and Francesca Neri also star.

<i>Red Dragon</i> (2002 film) Thriller film directed by Brett Ratner

Red Dragon is a 2002 psychological thriller film based on the 1981 novel by Thomas Harris. It was directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Tally. It is the third film of the Dino De Laurentiis Company production, last produced by Universal Pictures, and last starred by actor Anthony Hopkins. It follows The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Hannibal (2001) as a prequel, being followed by Hannibal Rising (2007). The film sees FBI agent Will Graham enlisting the help of serial killer Hannibal Lecter to catch another killer, Francis Dolarhyde. Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarice Starling</span> Fictional character created by Thomas Harris

Clarice M. Starling is a fictional character and protagonist of the novels The Silence of the Lambs (1988) and Hannibal (1999) by Thomas Harris.

Buffalo Bill (<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i>) Fictional character from The Silence of the Lambs

Jame Gumb is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Thomas Harris's 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs and its 1991 film adaptation, in which he is played by Ted Levine. In the film and the novel, he is a serial killer who murders overweight women and skins them so he can make a "woman suit" for himself. In the television series Clarice, he is portrayed by Simon Northwood.

<i>Hannibal Rising</i> 2006 novel by Thomas Harris

Hannibal Rising is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 2006. It is the fourth and final novel in Harris' series, serving as a prequel to his three previous books featuring his most famous character, the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The novel was released with an initial printing of at least 1.5 million copies and met with a mixed critical response. Audiobook versions have also been released, with Harris reading the text. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2007, directed by Peter Webber. Producer Dino De Laurentiis implied around the time of the novel's release that he had coerced Harris into writing it under threat of losing control over the Hannibal Lecter character, accounting for the perceived diminished quality from Harris' previous books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Crawford (character)</span> Fictional character

Jack Crawford is a fictional character who appears in the Hannibal Lecter series of novels by Thomas Harris, in which Crawford is the Agent-in-Charge of the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. He is modeled after John E. Douglas, who held the same position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Chilton</span> Fictional character

Dr. Frederick Chilton is a fictional character appearing in Thomas Harris' novels Red Dragon (1981) and The Silence of the Lambs (1988), along with the film and television adaptations of Harris's novels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Faison</span> American actor (born 1949)

Frankie Russel Faison is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner, and, later, Commissioner, Ervin Burrell in the HBO series The Wire, as Barney Matthews in the Hannibal Lecter franchise, and as Sugar Bates in the Cinemax series Banshee.

<i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> (novel) 1988 book by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1988 psychological horror novel by Thomas Harris. Published August 29, it is the sequel to Harris's 1981 novel Red Dragon and both novels feature the cannibalistic serial killer and brilliant psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. This time, however, he is pitted against FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she works to solve the case of the "Buffalo Bill" serial killer.

<i>Hannibal</i> (Harris novel) 1999 novel by Thomas Harris

Hannibal is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 1999. It is the third in his series featuring Dr. Hannibal Lecter and the second to feature FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling. The novel takes place seven years after the events of The Silence of the Lambs and deals with the intended revenge of one of Lecter's victims. It was adapted as a film of the same name in 2001, directed by Ridley Scott. Elements of the novel were incorporated into the second season of the NBC television series Hannibal, while the show's third season adapted the plot of the novel.

<i>Red Dragon</i> (novel) 1981 novel by Thomas Harris

Red Dragon is a psychological horror novel by American author Thomas Harris, first published in 1981. The story follows former FBI profiler Will Graham, who comes out of retirement to find and apprehend an enigmatic serial killer nicknamed "the Tooth Fairy". The novel introduces the character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer whom Graham reluctantly turns to for advice and with whom he has a dark past.

<i>Silence! The Musical</i>

Silence! The Musical is a 2005 musical created by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan as a parody of the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs, which is in turn based on 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. The musical is itself based on a parody screenplay of the same name written by Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan.

<i>Hannibal</i> (TV series) American television series

Hannibal is an American psychological horror-thriller television series developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC. The series is based on characters and elements appearing in Thomas Harris' novels Red Dragon (1981), Hannibal (1999), and Hannibal Rising (2006) and focuses on the relationship between Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special investigator Will Graham and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a forensic psychiatrist destined to become Graham's most cunning enemy and at the same time, the only person who can understand him.

<i>Hannibal Lecter</i> (franchise) Media franchise based on titular serial killer

The Hannibal Lecter franchise is an American media franchise based around the titular character, Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant, cannibalistic serial killer whose assistance is routinely sought out by law enforcement personnel to aid in the capture of other criminals. He originally appeared in a series of novels by Thomas Harris. The series has since expanded into film and television, having four timeline-connected franchise films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company: The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Hannibal (2001), Red Dragon (2002) and Hannibal Rising (2007), with three starring Anthony Hopkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddy Lounds</span> Fictional character

Frederick "Freddy" Lounds is a fictional character in the Hannibal Lecter series, created by author Thomas Harris. Lounds first appears in the 1981 novel Red Dragon as a foil to protagonist Will Graham. Lounds is ultimately murdered by the novel's primary antagonist, serial killer Francis Dolarhyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Graham (character)</span> Fictional character

Will Graham is a fictional character and protagonist of Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon. Graham is also the protagonist of two film adaptations of the novel, Manhunter (1986) and Red Dragon (2002), and the television series Hannibal (2013–2015), which adapted various parts of the Hannibal Lecter franchise.

"The Wrath of the Lamb" is the series finale of the horror series Hannibal. It is the 13th episode of the third season and is the 39th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by series creator Bryan Fuller, executive producer Steve Lightfoot, and co-producer Nick Antosca, and directed by Michael Rymer. It was first broadcast on August 27, 2015 on Canada, and then August 29, 2015 on NBC.

<i>Cari Mora</i> Novel by Thomas Harris

Cari Mora is a novel by American author Thomas Harris, published in 2019. It is his first book in 44 years – and only his second overall – not to feature his iconic creation Hannibal Lecter. Rather, it is about a young Colombian immigrant in Miami, Caridad "Cari" Mora, who becomes caretaker of a mansion beneath which is hidden twenty-five million dollars in cartel gold. She comes to the attention of Hans-Peter Schneider, a human trafficker and sadistic psychopath.

References

  1. ↑ Hoban, Phoebe (April 15, 1991). "The Silence of the Writer". New York. pp. 48–50.
  2. 1 2 Conklin 1999
  3. ↑ Cowley 2006 p. 45
  4. ↑ Laughlin 1999
  5. ↑ Tom Tivnan (May 15, 2019). "How Thomas Harris defined a genre and created fiction's most likeable villain". Penguin Books Limited.
  6. ↑ Alexandra Alter (May 18, 2019). "Hannibal Lecter's Creator Cooks Up Something New (No Fava Beans or Chianti". The New York Times .
  7. 1 2 Hoban 1991
  8. ↑ Streibling 2001
  9. 1 2 Cowley 2006 p. 45
  10. ↑ Bolivar 2012
  11. ↑ Minzesheimer 1999
  12. 1 2 3 Alter, Alexandra (May 18, 2019). "Hannibal Lecter's Creator Cooks Up Something New (No Fava Beans or Chianti)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  13. ↑ Dunning 1992 p. 159
  14. ↑ Cari Mora, by Thomas Harris. Grand Central Publishing. January 9, 2019. ISBN   9781538750131 . Retrieved January 9, 2019.

Sources

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