I'm happy to say that heroes are in style again in Hollywood. The Finest Hours profiled what was perhaps the most daring rescue in the history of the Coast Guard, Snowden examined the risks taken by controversial NSA leaker Edward Snowden, and Sully, about real-life hero airline pilot Sully Sullenberger, claimed the number one spot at the box office its first two weekends in release. Next is Deepwater Horizon, which is about the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and those brave souls on board who kept the disaster from being even worse. One of the men depicted in the film is Jimmy Harrell, played by Kurt Russell. But where is the real Jimmy from Deepwater Horizon now?
Harrell was the offshore installation manager and the top-ranking on-board employee of the rig owner, Transocean. He was showering when the explosion happened and suffered injuries as a result. According to Mother Jones, Harrell had feuded with BP for allegedly rushing the drilling, a claim that Harrell himself denied. After the disaster struck, Harrell also gave the order to activate the emergency cutoff system, ordered the evacuation of the ship, and personally helped carry out at least one injured man, according to the New York Times. Clearly, he had a role to play in the heroics of the tragedy, but what has he been doing since then?
In 2010, Harrell testified to congress about the incident. However, he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to testify in the civil suit in 2011. What Harrell has been up to in the ensuing five years is anyone's guess. I was unable to turn up any news story relating to Harrell since 2011, with his last known action being his refusal to testify in the civil case. Nor could I find any social media accounts that appear to belong to Harrell. Wherever he is, it would appear that he's been laying low since the disaster of the Deepwater Horizon.
Perhaps now with a film about the most tragic moment of his life hitting theaters, Harrell will emerge once again give his take on the film. After all, it's not every day that Kurt Russell plays you in a movie.
Images: Summit Entertainment
