Foundation Star Jared Harris Appeared in Two of the Best Sci-Fi Shows Ever

The Prime Video “Foundation” quickly established itself as the Isaac Asimov’s greatest adaptation over there. David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman’s ambitious series boasts a large and ever-expanding cast, but Jared Harris’ mathematician and psychohistorian Hari Sheldon remains a key player in the series’ complex events.

Harris, of course, is one of the great actors of our time. The two-time Emmy nominee has shined in projects ranging from “Chernobyl” and “Mad Men” to “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” However, casual science fiction fans may not realize that it also has ironclad genre credentials. In fact, before “Foundation,” Harris appeared in no less than two of science fiction’s finest shows: “Fringe” and “The Expanse.” (Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the latter series found its way onto /Film’s list of films. 15 Best Sci-Fi Shows Like “Foundation.”)

In news that won’t shock anyone familiar with Harris’ work, he can play some pretty intense characters — and both “Fringe” and “The Expanse” benefit from that aspect of the actor’s repertoire, albeit in very different ways. His “Fringe” character is cult leader David Robert Jones, who acts as a major antagonist for the show’s first season and later returns during an alternate timeline arc in Season 4. In “The Expanse,” he plays Anderson Dawes, a complex, working-class Freedom Belter-slash-fighter-slash-terrorist who isn’t afraid to get his hands extremely dirty for the sake of his people, making him an entertaining and evil ally to comfort for almost everyone he ends up associating with. Both Jones and Dawes are among the most memorable characters on their respective shows. Rounded out by the very different Hari Sheldon, they also offer sci-fi aficionados a sample platter of the different sides of Harris.

When you look at the urbane but frightening David Robert Jones, the intense and bombastic Anderson Dawes, and the multi-faceted Hari Sheldon (not to mention all of his other roles), it’s easy to be impressed by Jared Harris’ versatility as a performer. Various casting directors have also taken note. In fact, when HBO’s Terrifying and Relevant ‘Chernobyl’ was released in 2019, Harris revealed in an interview with The Guardian that he became something of a replacement act for none other than Daniel Day-Lewis:

“He was supposed to play the role in ‘Chernobyl’. Thank goodness he retired! He was also offered Moriarty in ‘Sherlock Holmes’. They said, ‘I hope you won’t be upset.’ I said, ‘No, he’s very good company to keep.’ Everything was offered to him first. Everything! Hehehe! I was really lucky he decided to retire.”

As TV’s current MVP, Harris has certainly managed to shine in the roles he’s played, so much so that it’s hard to imagine anyone else – perhaps even Day-Lewis himself – doing a better job at the specific tasks he’s taken on. Harris has also found interesting angles for his roles. For example, Hari Sheldon originally reminded him of HAL 9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey”. based on how the character was originally written.

“Foundation” is streaming on Apple TV.