Award winning writer/actor/filmmaker Kirk Harris made his directorial debut with loser. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called the film "an impressive no-budget Rebel Without A Cause for the '90's". loser premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and was picked up for a fifty city theatrical run. loser's cinematographer was Kent Wakeford, acclaimed director of photography of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Harris played the lead role of James "Jimmy" Dean Ray, a small town drug dealer bent on self-destruction. Peta Wilson (star of the hit series La Femme Nikita) played Jimmy's girlfriend.
Harris starred in the award winning psychological thriller My Sweet Killer. The film premiered as opening night film for the first Method Fest Film Festival, and Harris was awarded the festival's Breakthrough Performance Award. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote "Kirk Harris is again impressive". Directed by Justin Dossetti, Mr. Harris played the lead role of Charlie Cavenaugh, a former mental patient fighting his demons as he struggles to rejoin society. The cast included Jack Rubio (who also co-produced), Clifton Collins Jr (Traffic, Tigerland), Art Chudabala (Stoned Age, Men), Del Zamora (The Outfitters, Repo Man), and Luis Guizar (Star Maps, Bang).
Harris wrote and starred in the lead role of Lucky O'Donnell in the recently theatrically released Hard Luck. Kevin Thomas called the film "the third of actor-writer Kirk Harris’ impressively implacable odysseys of driven, defeated men". The film was awarded the Best Low Budget Feature at the Method Fest Film Festival, and Harris was awarded the Festival Director’s Award for Special Achievement in Acting. The film was the feature directorial debut of Jack Rubio (loser, My Sweet Killer). The dynamic indie cast included Sundance Best Actress Award Winner Renee Humphrey (Fun, Devil in a Blue Dress), Spirit Award Nominee Matthew Faber (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Ride with the Devil), star of the new Dogma 95 film P.O.V. Gareth Williams (Palookaville, Texas Rangers), Joanne Baron (Brooklyn Babylon, Perfume), Ron Gilbert (Usual Suspects, Lansky) and Academy Award Nominee Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville).
A former Golden Glove boxing champion who competed in fifty-one sanctioned bouts, Harris is not afraid to be challenged physically or artistically. He studied extensively at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and with members of the original Actor's Studio. Among other credits, Harris starred with Martin Sheen in short film Wilderness In The Garden.
A prolific screenwriter, Harris’s writing credits include Counted Out, Hard Luck, loser, My Hometown, Intoxicating, Seek, My Sweet Killer, Reason To Believe, Shooting Stars, and The Violent Kind.
