- Lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
- Shares two roles with Sally Field, They have both played M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias and Aunt May Parker in a Spider-Man film.
- Her real-life daughter, Jennifer Ehle, played the younger version of her character Valerie in the film Sunshine (1999). She also played the part of young Calypso in The Camomile Lawn (1992), with her mother taking the role of the older Calypso.
- Both she and her Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) co-star Marisa Tomei have played May Parker, the aunt of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, in films based on Marvel Comics: Harris in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Tomei in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).
- Although she originated the role of Eleanor in "The Lion in Winter" on Broadway, and won a Tony Award for her performance, the Hollywood producers thought her not famous enough, and cast Katharine Hepburn in the role for the film version. Hepburn went on to win an Oscar for her performance.
- Nominated for Tony Award (Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play) for 'Waiting in the Wings'. The award was won by her daughter Jennifer Ehle. (2000)
- Graduated from RADA.
- Won Broadway's 1966 Tony Award as Best Actress (Dramatic) for originating the part of Eleanor of Aquitaine in "The Lion in Winter." Subsequently, she has been nominated for eight other Tony Awards: as Best Actress (Dramatic) in 1972 for Harold Pinter's "Old Times" and as Best Actress (Play) in 1976 for a revival of "The Royal Family of Broadway, in 1984 for George Bernard Shaw's "Heartbreak House," in 1985 for "Pack of Lies," in 1986 for a revival of Noël Coward's "Hay Fever," in 1996 for a revival of Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance," in 2000 for "Waiting in the Wings," and in 2010 for "The Royal Family." Her Tony nominations three years in a row (1984-1986) are an accomplishment no other actor or actress can claim.
- An Associate Member of RADA.
- Has won 4 Drama Desk Awards: 1972 Outstanding Performance for Old Times; 1973 Outstanding Performance for A Streetcar Named Desire and The Merchant of Venice; 1976 Outstanding Actress (Play) for The Royal Family; and 1985 Outstanding Actress (Play) for Pack of Lies.
- Has been nominated for 2 Drama Desk Awards: 1984 Outstanding Actress (Play) for Heartbreak House; and 1996 Outstanding Actress (Play) for A Delicate Balance.
- As of 2020, Harris has never appeared in a film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. This is not likely to change since Harris has not acted on film since 2015. However, Harris did appear in the limited series (miniseries) of Holocaust (1978) which was not only nominated for Best Limited Series, it won the 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for Best Limited Series.
- Rosemary and daughter Jennifer Ehle are one of three sets of relatives to be nominated for the Tony Award for the same category in the same year. In 2000, both were nominated for Lead Actress in a Play: Rosemary for "Waiting in the Wings" and Jennifer for "The Real Thing" (Jennifer won).
- Born on exactly the same date as William Hickey (of "Major Payne" fame).
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