Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kieran Harriman is the son of Jean Ruth (Aldridge) and Geoffrey Alan Harriman. He is one of two children and the only member of his family to follow a career in acting. He received his education at Cambridge International College in Witbank before going to AFDA University in Gauteng where he studied Live Performance and obtained his BA.
During his time in university, Kieran went on to win the prestigious AFDA Award for Best Upcoming Actor in 2005. He went on to win two more AFDA awards in 2007 as Best Actor for his lead role in Crystals and Clowns, and Best Supporting Actor for Loaded. In 2008, he went on to star in the highly popular South African sitcom, The Coconuts. Following this breakthrough role, he went on to portray McGregor in the acclaimed South African soap opera Isidingo, which won Best Ensemble cast at the South African Film and Television Awards for two consecutive years. Kieran has since gone on to star in such TV series, including The Watchers, as well as numerous theatrical performances, commercials and films.