Harapes was born in a hospital in Chomutov on 24 July 1946, and but was native of Droužkovice, where he lived until the age of 14.

[1] His parents led an amateur theatre company, which allowed him to start acting at the age of five.

[2] After graduating from the Prague Dance Conservatory in 1965, he got a job at the National Theatre, where he was a soloist until his death.

[4] In 1986, he married singer Hana Zagorová in order to adopt a child, the marriage lasted until 1992.

[10][11] In 1977, Harapes signed the Anticharter[12] In the 2016 Czech Senate election, he ran as an Independent candidate, backed by the ANO 2011 Party, in District No.