The existence of a previously unrecorded son of the famed actor Sir Rex Harrison has been revealed decades after his death. Harrison, who won an Oscar for his role as Henry Higgins in the 1964 film My Fair Lady, had two legitimate sons, Noel and Carey, but a third son, Richard, was kept secret until recently.
The revelation came about through a chance encounter in Mexico. An old school friend of Carey Harrison, Rex's second son, met an elderly British woman who shared a private detail from the 1930s: she had given birth to a boy named Richard, whose father was Rex Harrison, then a young, unknown actor. Rex Harrison did not marry the woman.
Carey Harrison, an avant-garde dramatist, was intrigued by the story and contacted the woman, which led to his introduction to his half-brother Richard. Richard was subsequently introduced to his other half-brother, Noel, who had been considered Rex Harrison's eldest son.
Wayne Bontoft, a fan of Noel Harrison and author of the biography Noel Harrison: Windmills Of His Mind, confirmed the story. He stated that Noel met Richard in the 1990s, and it was immediately apparent that Richard was a member of the family. Bontoft added that Richard held no grudges against his father.
All three half-brothers have since passed away: Noel in 2013, Richard in 2021, and Carey in the past year.