Harry Connick Jr. kicked off his acting career in 1990 with the Michael Caton-Jones-directed World War II drama film ‘Memphis Belle,’ where he starred as a tail gunner. The movie opened to mixed reviews from critics and was a moderate box office success. The following year, Harry starred as ‘Eddie’ in the family-drama film ‘Little Man Tate.’
In 1992, Harry Connick Jr. appeared as ‘Russell Boyd’ in the sitcom television series ‘Cheers’ and thus marked his television debut. He was next seen portraying a serial killer in the psychological thriller film ‘Copycat’ (1995). The movie was both a critical and commercial success. The year 1996 saw the release of the sci-fi/action film ‘Independence Day’ where he played the character of ‘Captain Jimmy Wilder. The movie became a Hollywood blockbuster and was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1996.
Connick earned his first lead role in the romantic-comedy-drama film ‘Hope Floats,’ directed by ‘Forest Whitaker.’ The movie was panned by critics with Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle calling it “Corny and False.” Nevertheless, the movie turned out to be a commercial success, managing to earn over $80 million on a budget of $30 million.
In 2002, Harry became a part of the television sitcom ‘Will & Grace.’ He played the role of ‘Leo Markus’ on the show. He was then seen in the John McTiernan-directed mystery-action thriller film ‘Basic.’ The movie did not receive favorable reviews from the critics and ultimately tanked at the box office. Harry continued to appear in movies like ‘Mickey’ (2004), ‘The Happy Elf’ (2005), and ‘Bug’ (2006).
He also starred in the 2007 romance film ‘P.S I Love You’ where he portrayed the character of ‘Daniel Connelly.’ While the film opened to negative reviews, it managed to become a major box office success.
Harry Connick was seen in the romantic comedy film ‘New in Town’ in (2009). After taking a one-year break, Harry returned to the big screen with the family drama ‘Dolphin Tale’ directed by Charles Martin Smith, where he played the role of ‘Dr. Clay Haskett.’ He reprised his role as ‘Dr. Clay Haskett’ in its 2014 sequel ‘Dolphin Tale 2.’
Connick has also continued to appear in many television series and shows. He appeared as a guest judge in 2 seasons of the singing reality show ‘Australian Idol.’ Harry was also invited to be a judge in ‘American Idol’ in 2014.
In 2021, Harry appeared as a guest performer in ‘American Idol.’