LONDON, Oct 26: Renowned Irish actor Richard Harris, for years one of the hell-raisers of the stage and screen along with Richard Burton, died of cancer in hospital on Friday.

His family said Harris, 72, whose most recent incarnation was as Professor Dumbledore in the hit “Harry Potter” film series, had died peacefully.

“With great sadness Damien, Jared and Jamie Harris announce the death of their beloved father Richard Harris. He died peacefully at University College Hospital,” a statement by his three children said.

Harris, twice married, twice bankrupt and twice nominated for Oscars in a career that spanned 70 movies, was a true Sixties hellraiser who, in the style of Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole, believed life was for living to the full.

His most memorable films include “Camelot”, “The Field” and “This Sporting Life”. He also starred in the Ridley Scott Oscar-winning epic “Gladiator”.

Harris, who would go out for a packet of cigarettes and not come back for two weeks, once said: “I have made 72 movies in my life and been miscast twice — as a husband.”

In his later years, he found himself busier than ever in the film world. He said late last year he had no choice but to accept the Harry Potter role as his granddaughter had threatened never to speak to him again if he turned it down.

The producer of the Harry Potter movies hailed Richard Harris as “irreplaceable”.

“He will be greatly missed,” David Heyman said of the flamboyant star.

He won a whole new generation of young fans playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies.

Actor, extrovert, hellraiser, hard drinker, poet and pop singer — Richard Harris lived each role to the maximum as the quintessential Irishman.

Harris, nominated for Oscars for “This Sporting Life” and “The Field”, went from two bottles of vodka a day to total abstinence.

“I drank because I absolutely loved it,” Harris said of his notorious binges. The ebullient extrovert stopped drinking in 1981 when told he had only 18 months to live if he did not call a halt. He became a millionaire by shrewdly buying the stage rights of “Camelot”. He made the Top 10 with his song “MacArthur Park”.

Harris, Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton revelled in wine, women and song — and they didn’t mind in which order they came. And, like Burton and O’Toole, Harris had no regrets.

“I wanted to savour every minute of it. Richard was identical. Peter was identical. There was no burning ambition on our part to be the best Hamlet, the best Lear.”—Reuters