Born in Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, Harron grew up with a family that was entrenched in the world of film and theater. She is the daughter of Gloria Fisher and Don Harron, a Canadian actor, comedian, author, and director. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. Harron\'s first stepmother, Virginia Leith, was discovered by Stanley Kubrick and acted in his first film, Fear and Desire. Leith\'s brief acting career partly inspired Harron\'s interest in making The Notorious Bettie Page. Harron\'s stepfather is the novelist Stephen Vizinczey best known for his internationally successful book In Praise of Older Women. Harron\'s second stepmother is the Canadian singer Catherine McKinnon. Harron\'s sister, Kelley Harron, is an actor and producer.\n', '

Harron moved to England when she was thirteen and later attended St Anne\'s College, Oxford University, where she received a Bachelors in English. While in England, she dated Tony Blair, later the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Chris Huhne, another Oxford student who later became a prominent politician. She then moved to New York City and was part of its 1970s punk scene.\n', '

Harron has the title of Canadian female director, though she did not spend much of her life in Canada. She has said it is not a defining characteristic that influences her directorial choices. She feels that she has a different perspective as a Canadian but her work is not directly influenced or through a Canadian lens. However, she understands the impact living in Canada has on the way she views the world and states: "Mostly, I\'m just not American. [being Canadian means] You don\'t think you\'re at the center of things."\n', '

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