“I just had a small role”: the 1978 movie that left Ed Harris crying with relief
Ed Harris has recalled that appearing in the 1978 thriller Coma was a pivotal early career break, leaving him “crying with relief” after he was cast. Although his part was small, it gave him a foothold in film at a time when he was struggling to find acting work, illustrating how minor roles can prove decisive for emerging performers.
Coma, directed by Michael Crichton and based on Robin Cook’s novel, starred Geneviève Bujold and Michael Douglas and followed a doctor investigating suspicious comas at a hospital. Harris played a medical intern, one of his first screen appearances, before going on to establish himself through films including The Right Stuff, The Abyss and Glengarry Glen Ross.
- Coma gave Ed Harris a crucial early film opportunity.
- Harris said the casting left him crying with relief.
- His small role helped begin a major acting career.
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Ed Harris is a veteran American actor known for roles in films such as Apollo 13 and The Truman Show, but before he became well known, he was struggling to get work. Coma was among the films that gave him his start.
Coma was a 1978 medical thriller directed by Michael Crichton, based on a novel by Robin Cook, and starred Geneviève Bujold and Michael Douglas. It told the story of a doctor uncovering something sinister behind a string of patients falling into unexplained comas. Harris had only a small part, playing a junior hospital doctor, but it marked one of his earliest appearances on screen.
The story matters as a reminder of how actors' careers often begin with modest, easily overlooked parts rather than big breaks. Harris went on to build a long and respected career, appearing in films including The Right Stuff, The Abyss and Glengarry Glen Ross.