Personal Life
Harrison was married six times. In 1942 he divorced his first wife, Colette Thomas and married actress Lilli Palmer the next year; the two later appeared together in numerous plays and films, including The Fourposter.
In 1947, while married to Palmer, Harrison began an affair with actress Carole Landis. Landis committed suicide in 1948 after spending the evening with Harrison. Harrison's involvement in the scandal surrounding Landis' death (he waited several hours before he called a doctor and the police) briefly damaged his career and his contract with Fox was ended by mutual consent. Harrison and Lilli Palmer divorced in 1957.
That same year, Harrison married the actress Kay Kendall. Kendall died of Myeloid leukemia in 1959. Terence Rattigan's 1973 play In Praise of Love was written about the end of this marriage, with Harrison appearing in the New York production playing the character based on himself. Rattigan was said to be "intensely disappointed and frustrated" by Harrison's performance, as "Harrison refused to play the outwardly boorish parts of the character and instead played him as charming throughout, signalling to the audience from the start that he knew the truth about illness."
He was subsequently married to Welsh-born actress Rachel Roberts from 1962 to 1971. After a final attempt to win Harrison back proved futile, Roberts committed suicide in 1980.
Harrison then married Elizabeth Rees-Williams, divorcing in 1975 and finally in 1978, Mercia Tinker, who would become his sixth and final wife.
- Chronology of Harrison's six marriages
- Colette Thomas, 1934–1942 (divorced); one son, the actor/singer Noel Harrison
- Lilli Palmer, 1943–1957 (divorced); one son, the novelist/playwright Carey Harrison
- Kay Kendall, 1957–1959 (her death)
- Rachel Roberts, 1962–1971 (divorced)
- Elizabeth Harris, 1971–1975 (divorced); three stepsons, Damian Harris, Jared Harris, and Jamie Harris
- Mercia Tinker, 1978–1990 (his death)
- Grandchildren
- Granddaughters: Cathryn, Harriott, Chloe, Chiara, Rosie, Faith
- Grandsons: Will, Simon, Sam
Harrison owned properties in London, New York and Portofino, Italy. His villa in Portofino was named San Genesio after the patron saint of actors.
Read more about this topic: Rex Harrison
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