Richard Harrow

Richard Harrow is a fictional character on the television series Boardwalk Empire played by actor Jack Huston.

Fictional biography

Richard Harrow was a sharpshooter in the US army during World War I. While there he received an injury which resulted in the loss of his eye, upper jaw and most of the cheek bone on the left side of his face. He has also suffered some throat damage which causes him to speak in a low muffled voice. Due to these injuries he endured heavy scarring. Because of his appearance, Harrow now wears a tin mask in public that was molded to match the right side of his face. After the war he returned to Wisconsin where his twin sister, Emma, cared for him while his wounds healed. Once he was able to care for himself he left to live in Chicago where, in an army hospital, he connects with Jimmy Darmody. After this meeting he was invited to stay with him and his family as well as offering Harrow a job with his bootlegging team as Richard proves to be a good asset to Jimmy for his skills as a marksman and enforcer. Although Richard Harrow is a very gifted killer, he is a troubled soul which will become a brooding inner problem for him as he ventures deeper into the world of organized crime.

Season 1

Richard Harrow (Jack Huston) just happens to be at the same hospital in Chicago as Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) which is set up to analyze injured war veterans. At first Richard and Jimmy are just random patients until they briefly notice each other at the end of Jimmy's appointment but to which they say nothing. Richard eventually bumps into Jimmy again at a psychiatric clinic were he and Jimmy strike up an awkward but casual conversation. The rapport is instant and they both become fast friends. During their interactions Richard discloses that he was a marksman in the war which Jimmy finds intriguing. Richard then helps Jimmy in the elimination of a local gangster who had disfigured a young prostitute that Jimmy was close to while working as an enforcer at a brothel run by Chicago Gangster Johnny Torrio (Greg Antonacci).

Richard accompanies Jimmy Darmody back to New Jersey who has been asked to return home at the request of Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) where he becomes a hit man for Jimmy Darmody under Thompson. Richard then moves into the Thompson home were he acts as a bodyguard to "Nucky", Margaret Schroder (Kelly Macdonald) and her two small children who are under Thompsons care. At first the Schroder's ignore Richard because his appearance frightens them but they eventually warm up to him. For personal reasons between Margaret and "Nucky" Richard is no longer needed and leaves the Thompson house hold.

During this time ambitious Jimmy Darmody is asked by the commissioner who also happens to be his biological father to assist him in eliminating Nucky Thompson from Atlantic city to which Jimmy agrees and Richard follows.

Season 2

Richard is now established as Jimmy Darmody's right hand man on his bootlegging crew. Jimmy has now left Nucky Thompson to embrace his fathers wishes and is now in a bootlegging partnership with Charlie "Lucky" Luciano (Vincent Piazza), Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef) and Al Capone (Stephen Graham). Richard has also moved into the Darmody house hold were he begins a friendship with Jimmy's wife Angela Darmody (Aleksa Palladino). As their friendship deepens Angela who is an artist asks Richard if she can do his portrait to which he agrees nervously. During their session Richard eventually discloses some personal information to Angela about his past regarding his twin sister and war recovery. Richard then voluntarily removes his tin mask to show Angela his true form to which she embraces him and draws his portrait. It is also discovered through various scenes that Richard keeps a personal book of images that portray the simple life such as family, children and love which Richard secretly longs for but believes he will never obtain because of his now appearance.

Richard who is already an emotionally troubled and closed off individual ventures out one day during a remembrance day memorial to be by himself and visits the forest many miles away from Atlantic City. Richard embraces the quiet solitude of the forest as he takes his mask off and lays back putting a shot gun to his mouth. It's then by chance that a hunters dog finds him just before he pulls the trigger and runs off with his tin mask. Richard then chases the dog to eventually find two hunters sitting around a camp fire roasting their kill. It's upon this encounter that Richard realizes that there is always something to live for as was the advice given to him by the hunters.

Richard returns to Atlantic City were he asks Jimmy if he would fight for him to which Jimmy replies "Of course I would, right down to the last bullet" which solidifies Richard and Jimmy's friendship even stronger. Richard continues to stay by Jimmy's side as Jimmy's troubles worsen through bad business deals and deeper problems with Nucky Thompson. Angela Darmody winds up in the cross fire of her husbands problems and is murdered along with her female lover by Philadelphia gangster Manny Horvitz (William Forsythe) who was stiffed by Jimmy in a bootlegging deal that Richard was a part of. With Jimmy's father now dead by Jimmy's own hands during a family dispute, no alcohol or moves left, he tries to make peace with Nucky but to no avail the damage is done.

Richard asks Jimmy if he would like him to accompany him to a meeting that Nucky has set up to which Jimmy replies "no" knowing that he is going to his death. Richard is left at Jimmy's mother's estate to look after Jimmy and Angela's small son Tommy Darmody along with Jimmy's mother Gillian Darmody (Gretchen Mol).

Season 3

A year after Jimmy and Angela Darmody's death, Richard is now a permanent resident at Gillian Darmody's estate which has since been turned into a brothel with Gillian as the madam. Richard now acts as a bodyguard to the patrons of the brothel, a care taker and a guardian for now orphaned Tommy Darmody. Still brooding over the murder of Angela Darmody, Richard seeks vengeance on Manny Horvitz who is now a member of Nucky Thompsons crew. Richard waits outside the Horvitz home and then shoots Horvitz in the face with a shotgun as he opens the door to leave his house.

During this time, Richard is starting to spend a lot of time with Tommy and develops a strong fatherly bond with him. It is also during this time that Gillian is starting to turn sour towards Richard over the obvious bond that Richard and her grandson share. Knowing that Gillian is up to no good, Richard begins to feel threatened and annoyed by Gillian's antics and attitude toward him which is not in the best interest of Tommy but herself. Richard and Gillian begin to have a silent quarrel with each other.

Richard ventures off one evening to a veterans legion for support and work placement detail for war survivors. It's here that Richard meets Paul Sagorsky (Mark Borkowski), a bitter drunk and past war veteran himself who has lost his son in the war. Paul get's himself into hot water with some remarks about way these surviving young men fought the Great war that ends in a fist fight leaving Paul beaten and bloody. Richard takes pity on Paul and takes care of him until he's picked up by his daughter. Richard then meets Paul's daughter Julia Sagorsky (Wrenn Schmidt) and is captivated by her beauty and begins to fall in love. Richard notices that Paul has left a war medal behind to which he locates the Sagorsky's home and returns the medal. It is then that Richard realizes that the attraction between Julia and himself is mutual and they begin a courtship, even to the objections of her father.

As Richard and Julia's relationship deepens the problems between Richard and Gillian worsen as Tommy is starting to spend more and more time with Richard and Julia. By now Gillian's brothel is occupied by New York gangster Gyp Rosetti (Bobby Cannavale) who is at war with Nucky Thompson. Fearing for Tommy's safety, Richard begins to think that Tommy is better off some place else much to Gillians dismay. Gillian confronts Richard with Rosetti's men and then kicks Richard out of her estate to never return to which Richard calmly and hesitantly leaves. Heart broken that Richard is now gone, Tommy becomes very depressed and resents his grandmother Gillian.

Absolutely furious as to what Gillian has done, Richard returns to her estate days later and massacres all the gangsters occupying the estate in order to save Tommy who is now a captive in his grandmother's home. After the massacre Richard takes Tommy to the Sagorsky home were he leaves Tommy in their protection and care. Because of the seriousness of the situation and a sense of shame, Richard flees Atlantic City.

Season 4

Richard is now on the road with Atlantic City behind him. He is now making his way to his child hood home in Wisconsin to visit his twin sister Emma Harrow (Katherine Waterston) who he has not seen in years since he left for Chicago after his war wounds healed. Richard returns home to find his sister orphaned, widowed and pregnant living alone on the family farm with some troubles from a local debt collector. Emma embraces her brother and Richard settles down with his sister for a short time as he helps her with the problems she's been having.

During his visit with his sister, Richard faces more emotional trouble as he finds it difficult to put down the family dog who is now old and dying. Richard now realizes that he is losing the stomach for killing and death as he can almost not bear it any longer. During this time Richard is tracked down by a former client who had hired Richard previously to carry out an assassination contract that wasn't honored. They corner Richard in the barn and try to kill him but do not succeed as Richard kills one and has his hand broken to which he almost loses his life if it weren't for the intervention of his sister who kills the second. Still restless, Richard decides to leave the family farm to were his sister tells him that he needs to call to account for the things he has done in the past as she can see that Richard is greatly troubled. Richard then decides to return to Atlantic City.

Upon returning to Atlantic City, Richard unintentionally bumps into Paul Sagorsky at the hospital as he has just received medical care for his broken hand. Paul and Richard end up having a talk to were Paul tells Richard that he is dying of cirrhosis of the liver. During this time, Richard finds out that Julia and Paul Sagorsky are locked in a custody battle with Gillian Darmody over Tommy. Richard and Julia end up having numerous conversation to were Richard finds out that Julia is in love with him and they marry shortly after.

It is during this time that Gillian Darmody is tricked into a murder confession by a private investigator who has been hired to find the whereabouts of the young boy that Gillian had murdered over a year earlier. With the final decision of Tommy's custody coming up, Richard and his wife know that if Gillian is acquitted of the murder charges with out proof she will win the court case for Tommy and if she is found guilty, she will lose all rights to Tommy. Gillian claims that the young boy's body that was buried a year ago was her son Jimmy who was killed by "Nucky" Thompson over two years earlier and whose body was never found. Knowing that this isn't true, Richard goes to Nucky in order to find the true resting place of Jimmy Darmody so that Gillian is convicted for the murder she has comitted. Nucky agrees to tell Richard but for a price to which Richard agrees.

Richard is asked by Nucky to assist fellow gangster "Chalky" White (Michael K. Williams) in the elimination of rival New York gangster Dr. Valentine Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) who has been causing a lot of trouble for both Chalky and Nucky . Richard then sends his wife Julia and his now legally adopted son Tommy and his father in law Paul to Wisconsin to visit his sister Emma and says he will join them shortly. Richard goes to his contract to find that he is still not himself and finds it hard to focus. Richard quickly finds his composure and takes his mark on Narcisse. However, as Richard takes his shot, Narcisse who has kidnapped "Chalky" Whites young daughter is unknowingly placed into Richards line of fire and killed. Richard, in the chaos and shock over what has just happened is quickly spotted by Narcisse's men and is fatally wounded by gun fire. Richard manages a narrow escape and makes his way to and under the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

In a dream sequence, Richard is now sitting on a moving train quietly looking out the window, Walking up railroad tracks and then up to his child hood home. Richards sister Emma and her new born baby and husband are waiting for him on the front porch along with his wife Julia, son Tommy and his father in law Paul. Julia walks out to greet him as Richard's face now appears completely whole again as he smiles in peace.

Richard is next seen laying lifelessly in his own blood under the Atlantic City boardwalk against a pier staring out at the ocean in silence.

External links

• Richard Harrow at HBO.com
• Richard Harrow at the Internet Movie Database

References