Harrison Ford Fortune

Short introduction

The roles of Indiana Jones in the film series of the same name and Han Solo in Star Wars made him immortal. But even apart from these classic films, Harrison Ford excelled as a character actor and is still one of the most commercially successful actors in film history. In this article we introduce the American in more detail.

Early life

Harrison Ford was born in Chicago in 1942, where he also grew up and was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, a boy scout association. While still at school, Ford met his first wife Mary Louise Marquardt, with whom he was married from 1964 to 1979. Ford didn’t finish college because he was expelled three days before he graduated. He then moved to California in the mid-1960s to become an actor.

Career

Upon arrival in California, Harrison Ford learned acting at the Laguna Playhouse. Despite some engagements, for example for the series “Rauchende Colts”, the commercial success failed to materialize in the first years. For this reason, Ford worked as a carpenter and joiner to secure himself and his family financially. As part of this activity, he worked for the rock group “The Doors”, among others, with whom he also went on tour.

In 1973 Harrison Ford first attracted attention as an actor when he played an important supporting role in George Lucas’ film “American Graffiti”. This is how director Francis Ford Copolla became aware of the actor and hired him for supporting roles in classic films such as “Apocalypse Now”. Ford continued to work as a carpenter, however, as the previous roles meant no financial security.

Harrison Ford’s breakthrough came in 1977 with the first part of George Lucas’ space saga “Star Wars”, in which the actor took on the role of the daredevil smuggler Han Solo. He also embodied this in the sequels of the saga 1980, 1983 and 2015. In addition to the Star Wars cult films, Ford took on the role of Indiana Jones in the film series of director Steven Spielberg from 1981. Star Wars inventor George Lucas acted as a producer for these films and initially refused to hire an actor from his space epic. Nevertheless, Ford was able to prevail in the casting. By 2008, he slipped into the role of a whip-swinging archaeologist four times.

In addition to the roles in such adventure films, Ford also profiled himself as a character actor from the 80s. For his portrayal in “The Only Witness” he received his only Oscar nomination to date in 1986. Further engagements helped Ford secure a place among the most successful actors in film history. In addition to films such as “On the Run”, “Air Force One” and “Familiar Foe”, Harrison Ford repeatedly portrayed the secret agent Jack Ryan in “The Cartel” and “The Hour of the Patriots” in the 90s.

The 2000s, apart from the sequels to “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”, were characterized by less action-packed roles, since critics have also noted that the now over 60-year-old Ford is losing credibility in fast-paced films. Nevertheless, a fifth “Indiana Jones” film was announced for 2024. To date, he has appeared in over 70 films and series.

Career highlights

– Oscar nomination for Best Actor in “The Only Witness” – 1986
– “Star of the Century” awarded by the Association of American Cinema Owners – 1994
– American Film Institute AFI Life Achievement Award – 2000
– Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – 2003
– “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Festival del film Locarno – 2011
– “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Zurich Film Festival – 2013

Famous quotes

– “Nature doesn’t need people – people need nature. Nature would easily survive human extinction. On the other hand, humans cannot survive without nature. ”

– “Big changes in our lives can be a second chance.”

– “Letting a stuntman do the work is like going on vacation and letting someone else sleep with your own wife.”

– “I know” – As Han Solo in “Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back” on Princess Leia’s declaration of love.

Amazing facts

– Ford is a passionate pilot. In 2005, however, he had to make an emergency landing on a golf course when the engine of his machine failed. The results were numerous broken bones, head trauma and a battered plane.

– Harrison Ford always believed that his cult character Han Solo should have died in the original Star Wars trilogy. Not because he no longer felt like the smuggler, but, according to Ford, because his victim would give the other characters meaning and emotional weight.

– The whole Ford family is very committed to environmental protection. As a sign of appreciation, some animal species have already been named after Harrison Ford: Calponia harrisonfordi (a spider) and Pheidole harrisonfordi (an ant).