Biography for
Jonathan Harris (I)

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Date of Birth

6 November 1914, Bronx, New York, USA

Date of Death

3 November 2002, Encino, California, USA (blood clot in the heart)

Birth Name

Jonathan Charasuchin

Height

5' 11" (1.80 m)

Mini Biography

Born Jonathan Charasuchin in the Bronx to impoverished Russian-Jewish émigrés, Jonathan Harris worked as a box boy in a pharmacy at age 12 and later earned his pharmacy degree at Fordham University. The desire to act proved overwhelming, however, and he forsook this promising trade for the theater, shaking off his thick Bronx accent and changing his surname to one easier to pronounce. After performing in over 100 plays in stock companies nationwide, he made his Broadway bow in 1942 with "Heart of a City" and entertained WWII troops in the South Pacific.

Following his introduction to live television drama in 1948, he ventured off to Hollywood and made his film debut, co-starring with Alan Ladd and James Mason in Botany Bay (1953). However, it was TV that would make him a household name - first as Bradley Webster in "The Third Man" (1959) opposite Michael Rennie, and then the role that made him a cult icon, Dr. Zachary Smith, the dastardly, effete stowaway on "Lost in Space" (1965), with Harris easily stealing the show week after week as he botched and mangled all the good intentions of the Robinson family to get back home to Earth. Unable to top this achievement and seriously typecast as a plummy villain, the remainder of his career was spent with great relish providing voice-over work in commercials and animated cartoons. Harris died of a blood clot to the heart just days before his 88th birthday.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net

Spouse

Bregman, Gertrude

(1938 - 3 November 2002) (his death) 1 child

Trade Mark

Clipped quasi-English sounding villainous baritone

Trivia

Received a degree in pharmacology from Fordham University.

Born in the borough of the Bronx (New York City) to Russian-Jewish immigrants.

Survived by his wife, Gertrude, of 64 years and one son, Richard.

Although he reprised his most infamous role as Dr. Smith in a one-hour TV special Lost in Space Forever (1998) (TV) in 1998, he refused a cameo in the motion picture version of Lost in Space (1998) later that year, unlike June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen and Angela Cartwright, the other stars of the 60s show. With typically cryptic "Dr. Smith" flair, he announced that if he could not play his own role in the movie, he wanted nothing to do with it. Interestingly, Gary Oldman portrayed "Dr. Smith" in a curiously subdued fashion.

Often brought a large bag of tootsie-roll pops to work for the cast and crew.

He was the only cast member of "Lost in Space" (1965) who would not appear at fan-related conventions without being paid. His asking price was $500.

Harris died from a blood clot in his heart while receiving therapy at an Encino-area hospital for a chronic back problem.

Although his character's eventual monopolization of "Lost in Space" (1965) aggravated members of the cast, all of them stated that he was the nicest of people to work with.

Just before his death, Harris was involved in the NBC project of "Lost in Space: The Journey Home" in which the Robinson family may be returning to earth.

Was a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony radio show

Before entering the show business, he watched lots of English movies to adopt the ways of a classical British actor.

His Broadway debut was in 1942 on the play "Heart of the City".

Would often sit up at night thinking of ways to insult the robot ("Be quiet, you bubble-headed booby!") while on "Lost in Space" (1965). His colorful put-downs for his mechanical colleague, almost all of them unscripted, are among the best-remembered aspects of the show.

He was the co-star of the Bill Dana show. Much of his banter from that show was used on the robot in Lost in Space.

At conventions, insisted that his booth or table be separate from the rest of "Lost in Space" (1965) cast members. He refused to be in the same part of the building as June Lockhart and convention coordinators had to accede to his demands - he was a major draw to conventions.

Following "Lost in Space" (1965), he did numerous commercials for the International House of Pancakes.

He was the voice and drama coach of Chuck Norris. He "taught him how to speak," by putting his fingers in Norris's mouth, and stretching the mouth wide open. Chuck names him as the only man in the world who could get away with doing that to him...a fact of which he was always proud.

His father, Sam, got struck by a car and was found dead in 1977.

He had 12 hobbies: watching movies, playing piano, dancing, listening to opera, gardening, knitting, cooking, traveling, magic, painting, reading, and spending time with children.

Graduated from James Monroe High School in The Bronx, New York, in 1931.

Harris and the rest of the cast of "Lost in Space" (1965), were very disappointed by its cancellation in 1968, attributed to the show's high cost.

While attending James Monroe High School, he didn't fit in well with his peers, with the exception of his future wife, Gertrude Bregman, who was his best friend.

Before he was an actor, he worked at many drugstores in New York City.

Of Russian and Polish descent.

Was reunited with "Lost in Space" (1965) co-star, Bill Mumy, alongside Leonard Nimoy (of "Star Trek" (1966) fame) at a Disney World Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. [1996]

Best remembered by the public for his special guest starring role as Dr. Zachary Smith on "Lost in Space" (1965).

He changed his named from Charasuchin to Harris because his classmates from school were making fun of him.

Personal Quotes

I'm not British, just affected.

[On the cancellation of "Lost in Space"]: When the curtain comes down, you're disappointed. Always, the curtain comes down. I've done so much work, and then, the curtain comes down and you go on to something else.

[On trying his hand on being a leading man of the 1940s]: I thought I was Cary Grant. Oh, I looked into the mirror, and said, 'Yes, Yes. It's Cary Grant.' And then, I pulled myself together and said, 'Are you kidding? You're a character man'.

[When his father finally arrived at the theatre to see his son]: He came to the dressing room, gave me a hug and a kiss; and said, 'You belong here.' I never forget it.

[On asking Irwin Allen for a Special Guest Star credit on every episode of "Lost in Space" (1965)]: Well, the screaming, the hollering. I never heard of such a thing. On. . . about 20 minutes. Finally, he ran out of breath, and said, 'Okay,' I got it!

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