Born in Lubbock, Texas, in 1983, Harjes made his small-screen debut playing legendary boxer Jack Dempsey on Boardwalk Empire‘s second season. He followed his heavyweight performance with two well-regarded indies, The Forest Of Red, which earned him a Best Actor win at the Tolentino International Film Festival in Italy, and The Boyz Of Summer. Harjes returned to television, appearing on several of the era’s most popular series, including Blue Bloods, Orange Is The New Black, Gotham, Daredevil, FBI, and Elementary. Most recently, he had a nine-episode arc on the second and third seasons of Manifest.
An obituary published on Harjes’ website states, “His life began with the rhythm of hooves and the open plains—just three days after he was born, his father carried him and his sister on horseback. That early bond with animals and the rodeo spirit stayed with him and later became the unlikely but perfect foundation for a life in the performing arts.”
He is survived by his parents, Randy and Rosanne; sister, Trish; brother-in-law Sawyer Kelley; nephews, Tristin and Sawyer; nieces Rory and Charly; ex-wife Shiva Shobitha; and “his beloved cat,” Maude.
