Ed Harris’ narration sends series flying up the Netflix charts
Possessing a truly iconic status in the hallowed realms of Hollywood, Ed Harris is certainly one of the most recognisable faces in the American cinema world. However, it’s not only Harris’ face that captures our attention, as the New Jersey-born actor’s voice has been helping a docudrama series fly up the Netflix chart.
Coming through in movies like Creepshow, The Right Stuff, The Abyss and State of Grace saw Harris establish himself as a reliable support actor in the 1980s, and from there, he continued to cement his position as one of the all-time greats. With further efforts in Apollo 13, The Truman Show, The Hours and A History of Violence, it’s easy to see why he has earned such widespread admiration.
The world of the western has also profited greatly from Harris’ talent and prowess as an actor. Back in 1987, Harris starred in Alex Cox’s weird western movie Walker, based on the life story of an American filibuster who invaded Nicaragua. Two decades later, Harris directed and starred in the western movie Appaloosa, while he also featured in the science fiction western TV series Westworld.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Harris has been employed to narrate the docudrama series Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War for Netflix, which has been climbing up the charts on the streaming service. The official Netflix synopsis for the series reads, “The legendary feud between Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton unfolds through vivid reenactments in this gritty docudrama about the gunfight that defined an era.”
Across six episodes,Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War combined narrative non-fiction, documentary-style interviews and dramatic reenactments to focus on the legendary titular western figure. Earp has been the subject of a number of screen productions including the movies Tombstone, Wyatt Earp and Wyatt Earp’s Revenge and portrayals from the likes of Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell and Kevin Costnter.
On the small screen, Earp has also cropped up on a number of notable occasions, say in Deadwood and Wynonna Earp, but Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War serves as a unique take on his legacy. “Forget everything you know about Wild West history,” Harris says in the trailer for the show. “The gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It wasn’t the end of a story; it was just the beginning.”
Given the love for the western genre in contemporary audiences and the fact that Ed Harris is on hand for narration, while the likes of Tim Fellingham, Ariel Eliaz and Shane Penhale serve in the dramatic parts, it’s no wonder that Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War is storming up the Netflix charts, competing with acclaimed shows like Emily in Paris and the true crime docuseries American Murder: Laci Peterson.