Happy Birthday to "Queer as Folk" Actor Randy Harrison

Randy Harrison was born today, November 2, in 1977. He is an actor best known from the Showtime drama Queer as Folk.

Harrison made his television debut playing Justin Taylor, a gay teen, in 2000's American version of Queer as Folk, based on the British television series. The series ran for five seasons, ending in 2005. In 2002, Harrison played the character Sean in Bang Bang You're Dead, a made-for-television movie based on the play of the same name. Harrison also starred as Brutus in Patrick Donelley's postmodern feature film adaptation of Julius Caesar opposite actor John Shea as the title role.

In 2002, Harrison starred in the play Deviant at the New York International Fringe Festival. In summer 2004, Harrison made his Broadway debut as Boq in the musical Wicked.

Harrison has a substantial résumé in regional theatre, most prominently as a featured player since 2005 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Roles with BTF include Alan Strang in Equus (2005), the title role in Amadeus (2006), Bill Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2007), Frank Gardner in Mrs. Warren's Profession (2007), Lucky in Waiting for Godot (2008), Osvald Alving in Ghosts (2009), Nagg in Endgame (2010), and the title character in The Who's "Tommy" (2011). 

Most recently, Harrison has appeared in the critically acclaimed TV series, Mr. Robot and directed and appeared in the TV series New York Is Dead on "Funny or Die" Web site. 

Harrison, who is openly gay, dated Advertising Age columnist Simon Dumenco from 2002 to 2008; the two met when Dumenco interviewed Harrison for a New York magazine cover story.