Richard Harrison, the American actor known for his roles in spaghetti Westerns and sword-and-sandal films, has died at the age of 90. According to producer and longtime friend Joan Borsten, Harrison died Friday of natural causes in Los Angeles. Born in Salt Lake City in 1936, he moved to Hollywood as a teenager and initially worked at gyms and modeled for magazines before studying acting under renowned teacher Sandy Meisner.

Harrison’s career truly took off after he moved to Italy, where his rugged appearance made him a natural fit for the popular sword-and-sandal genre. His breakthrough came with The Invincible Gladiator in 1962, followed by appearances in films such as Avenger of the Seven Seas, Gladiator 7 and Gunfight in the Red Sands. He quickly became a familiar face in European cinema, even though he never achieved major Hollywood stardom.

One of the most interesting chapters of Harrison’s career involved Clint Eastwood. In 1964, Harrison turned down the lead role in Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars. When asked to recommend another American actor, he suggested Eastwood, partly because he knew Eastwood could ride a horse. The role helped propel Eastwood toward international fame. Later, Harrison moved to Hong Kong and spent years appearing in numerous low-budget ninja films.

Over the course of his career, Harrison appeared in more than 100 movies and directed several as well. Although many were B-movies, some eventually developed loyal cult followings. His final screen appearances came in Angel Eyes in 1993 and Jerks in 2000. For fans of classic Westerns and European genre cinema, Harrison remains a memorable figure from an era filled with rugged heroes, dusty towns, six-shooters and unforgettable movie soundtracks. 🎬