# Noel Harrison
**Noel Harrison** (29 January 1934 – October 2013) was a British singer, actor, and Olympic alpine skier, best known for his recording of "The Windmills of Your Mind", the Academy Award-winning theme of the 1968 film *The Thomas Crown Affair*, and for playing secret agent Mark Slate in the NBC series *The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.*[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) • [2](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131023-story.html) He was the son of the actor Sir Rex Harrison and competed for Great Britain in alpine skiing at the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics.[3](https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/noel-harrison/785k05jWG542QpMdCgsEem)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 January 1934, London, England[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365786/faq/) |
| Died | October 2013, Ashburton, Devon, after a heart attack; sources give 19, 20, or 22 October[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) • [5](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476) • [6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison) |
| Olympic career | British ski team; all three alpine events at Oslo 1952 (downhill 58th, giant slalom 74th, slalom did not finish) and Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 (slalom 47th, giant slalom 64th)[5](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476) |
| Signature recording | "The Windmills of Your Mind" (1968), theme of *The Thomas Crown Affair*; the song won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Original Song and reached No. 8 in the UK in 1969[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html) |
| Best-known TV role | Mark Slate in *The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.* (NBC, 1966–1967, 29 episodes), opposite Stefanie Powers[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365786/faq/) |
| Albums | *Noel Harrison* (1966, Decca); *Collage* (1967), *Santa Monica Pier* (1968), and *The Great Electric Experiment Is Over* (1969) on Reprise[8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography) |
| Family | Son of Sir Rex Harrison and his first wife, Collette Thomas[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison) |
## Early life and skiing
Harrison was born in London to [Rex Harrison](https://www.edgepedia.org/rex-harrison), later famous for playing Henry Higgins in *My Fair Lady*, and Collette Thomas, the first of Rex's six wives.[2](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131023-story.html) • [9](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/theater-biographies/rex-harrison) His parents divorced when he was six, and he moved to Bude in Cornwall to live with his maternal grandparents.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html)
**Skiing came through his mother.** When he was 14, in 1948, she moved to Switzerland and took up with a ski instructor, giving Harrison access to lessons; he took to the sport quickly and by 1952 was on the British team.[10](https://www.teamgb.com/article/noel-harrison-academy-award-singer-hollywood-actor-and-olympian/78tSUB3nyLbpThlH6fz8Ki) At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo he was entered in all three alpine events, finishing 58th in the downhill, 74th in the giant slalom, and failing to finish the slalom.[5](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476) He won the British giant slalom national title in 1953, which [Team GB](https://www.edgepedia.org/team-gb) describes as Britain's first giant slalom national championship, and competed again at [Cortina d'Ampezzo](https://www.edgepedia.org/cortina-dampezzo) in 1956, placing 47th in the slalom and 64th in the giant slalom.[5](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476) • [10](https://www.teamgb.com/article/noel-harrison-academy-award-singer-hollywood-actor-and-olympian/78tSUB3nyLbpThlH6fz8Ki) Even at the Games music was present: he and fellow alpine skiers John Boyagis and Rupert de Larrinaga played guitar together in the athletes' village in Oslo.[10](https://www.teamgb.com/article/noel-harrison-academy-award-singer-hollywood-actor-and-olympian/78tSUB3nyLbpThlH6fz8Ki)
## Music career
After national service in the army, Harrison learned the guitar and made a living through his twenties playing bars and clubs around Europe.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) In 1958 he was given a slot on the BBC television program *Tonight*, singing calypso-style songs about current news events.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) He moved to the United States in 1965 and worked as a nightclub entertainer on both coasts.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison)
His first hit was "A Young Girl", an English version of a [Charles Aznavour](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-aznavour) song, from his debut album *Noel Harrison* (1966).[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) • [8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography) The album drew heavily on [Bob Dylan](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-dylan), containing four Dylan songs alongside material by Aznavour and others.[11](https://www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com/albums/noelharrison) He followed it with three albums on Reprise: *Collage* (1967), *Santa Monica Pier* (1968), and *The Great Electric Experiment Is Over* (1969), and had a minor hit with [Leonard Cohen](https://www.edgepedia.org/leonard-cohen)'s "Suzanne".[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) • [8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography)
**"The Windmills of Your Mind"** defined his recording career. The song, composed by [Michel Legrand](https://www.edgepedia.org/michel-legrand) with lyrics by [Alan and Marilyn Bergman](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-and-marilyn-bergman), was written for *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1968), starring [Steve McQueen](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-mcqueen) and Faye Dunaway; director Norman Jewison chose Harrison for the vocal.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html) The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Harrison's single spent 14 weeks in the UK charts, peaking at No. 8 in 1969.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html) Harrison himself downplayed the session, saying it was "just a job that I got paid $500 for" and that Legrand came to his home to help him learn the song before they recorded it.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison)
## Acting career
Harrison began acting at 17 with the Ipswich Arts Repertory Theatre Group, first appearing as a sedan chair bearer in *School for Scandal* in 1951.[12](https://www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com/television/theatre) On television he guest-starred in *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* before being cast as Mark Slate, opposite [Stefanie Powers](https://www.edgepedia.org/stefanie-powers) as April Dancer, in the spin-off *The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.*; the series lasted one season, 29 episodes, in 1966–1967.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365786/faq/) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) His other television credits included *It Takes a Thief*, *Love, American Style*, *Mission: Impossible*, *Ironside*, and *The Love Boat*, and he hosted his own variety program, *Take Time with Noel Harrison*.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison) His film appearances included *Take a Girl Like You* (1970) and *Déjà Vu* (1997).[13](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621228536)
**Musical theater became his main stage work** from the 1970s onward. He played Henry Higgins, the role his father made famous on film, in 18 productions of *My Fair Lady* across America, beginning in Boston in 1974, and played [King Arthur](https://www.edgepedia.org/king-arthur) in 15 productions of *Camelot*; other roles included Arthur Kipps in *Half a Sixpence*, Captain Von Trapp in *The Sound of Music*, and [Don Quixote](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-quixote) in *Man of La Mancha*.[12](https://www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com/television/theatre)
## Later life
In the early 1970s Harrison withdrew from Hollywood and moved with his family to a 300-acre farm in [Nova Scotia](https://www.edgepedia.org/nova-scotia), Canada, where he hosted the CBC television program *Take Time*, featuring songwriters.[6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison) • [7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html) • [8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography) The self-sufficiency experiment did not last; by the 1980s he had returned to Los Angeles, where he composed, acted occasionally, and toured a one-man show about [Jacques Brel](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacques-brel), *Adieu Jacques*.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html)
He returned to Britain in 2003 and settled at Ashburton, Devon, releasing the albums *Hold Back Time* (2003) and *From the Sublime to the Ridiculous!* (2010) and performing occasionally, including at the [Glastonbury Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/glastonbury-festival) in 2011.[7](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html) • [8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography) He died in October 2013 at age 79 after a heart attack suffered following a performance in Devon; he had disclosed earlier that year that he had kidney disease.[2](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131023-story.html) Published death dates differ: the *Guardian* and IMDb give 19 October, Olympedia and the *Independent* give 20 October, and the Television Academy lists 22 October.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365786/faq/) • [5](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476) • [6](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison)
## References
1. [Noel Harrison obituary, The Guardian (Adam Sweeting, 22 October 2013)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/22/noel-harrison)
2. [PASSINGS: Noel Harrison, Jon Locke, Jamalul Kiram III, Los Angeles Times (23 October 2013)](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131023-story.html)
3. [Noel Harrison | Alpine Skiing | Team GB Olympians](https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/noel-harrison/785k05jWG542QpMdCgsEem)
4. [Noel Harrison (1934–2013), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365786/faq/)
5. [Noel Harrison, Olympedia](https://olympedia-pro.t5tyuwenpa.eu-west-1.elasticbeanstalk.com/athletes/86476)
6. [Noel Harrison, Television Academy bios](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/noel-harrison)
7. [Noel Harrison: Actor and singer best known for 'The Windmills of your Mind', The Independent (Marcus Williamson, 22 October 2013)](https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/noel-harrison-actor-and-singer-best-known-for-the-windmills-of-your-mind-8897516.html)
8. [Noel Harrison Biography, Discography & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noel-harrison-mn0000882782/discography)
9. [Harrison, (Sir) Rex, Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/theater-biographies/rex-harrison)
10. [Noel Harrison: Olympian, Academy Award singer and Hollywood actor, Team GB (7 February 2025)](https://www.teamgb.com/article/noel-harrison-academy-award-singer-hollywood-actor-and-olympian/78tSUB3nyLbpThlH6fz8Ki)
11. [Noel Harrison (1966) album page, The Windmills of Your Mind.com](https://www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com/albums/noelharrison)
12. [Theatre page, The Windmills of Your Mind.com](https://www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com/television/theatre)
13. [Noel Harrison, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621228536)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames H to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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