Sir Reginald Carey Harrison (March 5, 1908 - June 2, 1990) was a British theatre and film actor.



Rex Harrison was born in Huyton, Lancashire, England and first appeared on the stage in 1924 in Liverpool. He acted in various stage productions until May 11, 1990. He acted in the West End of London when he was young, appearing in the Terence Rattigan play French Without Tears, which proved to be his breakthrough role. He continued to appear in London, in Shaw's Heartbreak House, Pirandello's Henry IV and in 1984 he appeared at the Haymarket Theatre with Claudette Colbert in Frederick Lonsdale's "Aren't we All?". He again appeared at the Haymarket in J.M.Barrie's The Admirable Crichton with Edward Fox.

Harrison was married six times.
Harrison was best known for his portrayal of Professor Henry Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady, based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion, especially after he reprised the role in the 1964 film version, for which he won the 1965 Best Actor Oscar. He revived the role on stage in the early 1980's. He also starred in 1967's Doctor Dolittle. Harrison could not sing, and so the music in both these musicals had to be carefully written. Harrison "spoke" the words to the music, and it sounded, more or less, like singing.