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Harry Northup

Harry Northup

Actor · Born September 2, 1940 (86) · Amarillo, Texas, USA

Harry E. Northup has made a living as an actor for 30 years, acting in 37 films, including Mean Streets (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976) (1976 Palme d'Or winner at Cannes), Fighting Mad (1976) (starring role), Citizens Band (1977), Blue Collar (1978), Over the Edge (1979) (starring role), Tom Horn (1980), Used Cars (1980), Kansas (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (Oscar winner for Best Picture), Philadelphia (1993), Bad Girls (1994), Beloved (1998), and a remake of The Manchurian Candidate (2004). Harry has acted in 43 television shows, including ER (1994) (guest star), The Court (2002) (recurring role), "In Cold Blood" (CBS mini-series), The Deliberate Stranger (1986), The Day the Bubble Burst (1982), and Knots Landing (1979) (recurring role). Harry has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1976. Harry is that rare American actor who is also an accomplished poet. He has had nine books of poetry published: Amarillo Born (Victor Jiminez Press, 1966); the jon voight poems (Mt. Alverno Press, 1973); Eros ASsh (Momentum Press, 1976); Enough The Great Running Chapel (Momentum Press, 1982); the images we possess kill the capturing (the jesse press, 1988); The Ragged Vertical (Cahuenga Press, 1996); Reunions (Cahuenga Press, 2001); Greatest Hits, 1966-2001 (Pudding House Press, 2002); and Red Snow Fence (Cahuenga Press, 2006). Harry received his B.A. in English from California State University, Northridge, where he studied verse with Ann Stanford. Harry Northup's professional and private papers, manuscripts, journals, scripts, correspondence, ephemera, etc., were purchased by U.C.S.D., La Jolla, on Nov. 18, 2002, and are housed in the Mandeville Special Collections Library, U.C.S.D., 0175-S, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, Ca. 92093-0175, for instruction, research and preservation. His son Dylan lives in Wisconsin. Harry lives in East Hollywood with his wife Holly Prado Northup, a writer and teacher.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
September 2, 1940 (86)
From
Amarillo, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
36 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 30% in 30 days

What are Harry Northup's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
31%
Bonds
30%
Power
17%
Self
14%
Society
5%
Survival
3%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Melancholic
7
Thrilling
3
Warm
3
Absurd
2
Other
5

How their films linger

Bittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Harry Northup's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 36 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Harry Northup's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

45 credits, 36 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Manchurian Candidate(2004)

    as Congressman Flores

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Brokedown Palace(1999)

    as Leon Smith

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Beloved(1998)

    as Sheriff

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Fathers' Day(1997)

    as Reno Jail Cop

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • In Cold Blood(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Minister

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • The Colony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Actor

  • Reform School Girl(1994)

    as Uncle Charlie

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Competency Evaluator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Rebel Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Uncle Charlie

  • Bad Girls(1994)

    as Preacher

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Philadelphia(1993)

    as Juror

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hero(1992)

    as Mr. Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Unlawful Entry(1992)

    as McMurtry, Desk Sergeant

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Silence of the Lambs(1991)

    as Mr. Bimmel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Nowhere to Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Rayford Satterwhite

  • Kansas(1988)

    as Governor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Project X(1987)

    as Congressman

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Deliberate Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Tom Hargreaves

  • The Deliberate Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 2 episodes · as Tom Hargreaves

  • Street Hawk(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Carl

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Hard to Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Limo Driver #2

  • 11th Victim (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Officer Thorpe

  • Swing Shift(1984)

    as New Year's Eve Marine #1

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Nickel Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Frank

  • Heart Like a Wheel(1983)

    as Trooper

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Day the Bubble Burst(1982)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Used Cars(1980)

    as Carmine

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Tom Horn(1980)

    as Burke

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Knots Landing(1979)

    Show 5 episodes · as Wayne Harkness

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Rose(1979)

    as Skinny Guy

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Over the Edge(1979)

    as Doberman

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Tales of the Unexpected(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Maneaters Are Loose! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as John Pennington

  • Blue Collar(1978)

    as Hank

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • New York, New York(1977)

    as Alabama

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Citizens Band(1977)

    as The Red Baron

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Fighting Mad(1976)

    as Sherrif Len Skerritt

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Taxi Driver(1976)

    as Doughboy

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Crazy Mama(1975)

    as FBI Man

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore(1974)

    as Joe & Jim's Bartender

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The All-American Boy(1973)

    as Parker

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Mean Streets(1973)

    as Soldier

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Boxcar Bertha(1972)

    as Harvey Hall

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Star Spangled Girl(1971)

    as Cowboy on Bus

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Who's That Knocking at My Door(1967)

    as Harry

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 45 titles from 1968 to 2004; peak year 1979.

Biggest box office

Project X (1987)

$22M worldwide

Highest rated

Over the Edge (1979)

Midcredits 90th

Most popular right now

Used Cars (1980)

Film career

19682004

Peak 1979 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 45: 45 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score58th

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s16 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 15th · top billed in 0% of 18 roles
687883

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Harry Northup's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 36 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 36 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

The Day the Bubble Burst (1982)

82nd percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Harry Northup's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles38–71 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 48 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Harry Northup work with?

People who share at least 2 of Harry Northup's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jonathan Kaplan shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers