Rekha Harris (real name: Sumathi Josephine) is an Indian actress born on 18 May 1970 in Eramalloor, Alappuzha, Kerala. Her father Varadaraja was a farmer. She completed her schooling at Unique Public School, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, and her graduation from the University of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. She made her acting debut at age 16 with the Tamil film Kadalora Kavithaigal (1986) and quickly rose to prominence through a string of notable roles. She is best remembered in Tamil cinema for playing Ranjani opposite Kamal Haasan in Punnagai Mannan (1986), and in Malayalam cinema for Dasharatham (1989), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and In Harihar Nagar (1990). Her extensive career spans over 100 films across Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada industries. On television, she is known for Kana Kaanum Kalangal, Kolangal, and Bangalore Days. She has also served as a judge on Malayali Veetamma and Nakshathradeepangal. She is married to seafood exporter George Harris (since 1996) and has a daughter Anusha. In 2020, she participated in Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 and was the first contestant evicted in Week 2 (Day 13), finishing 18th.
Tamil film Punnagai Mannan (1986) opposite Kamal Haasan as Ranjani; Malayalam films Dasharatham (1989, Filmfare Award Best Actress) and In Harihar Nagar (1990); Tamil TV serials Kana Kaanum Kalangal and Kolangal; appeared in 100+ films across Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada.
