Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is a charming actor who excels at being relatable, funny, and is no stranger to leading blockbuster level action adventure films. I first saw Harrison in Star Wars (1977), where he played one of his iconic roles, Han Solo. He was quick witted, mischievous, and set a standard for future action heroes as he flew across the universe saving the day. Ford doesn’t need to say much to develop a character and when he does speak, if you hear it through his sometime mumbling voice, he can sell the moment and deadpan a comedic line. His character appeared in the Star Wars sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015 with Daisy Ridley). As a leading man in action movies, Harrison’s skills were also well on display in the Indiana Jones films (3 between 1981-1989, part 4 in 2008, and a sequel is in the works) where he played the title character who travelled the world and looked for treasures. Indiana Jones was equally comfortable and talented at punching bad guys as he was flirting or reciting world history, and Harrison made you believe this guy could exist. Who wouldn’t want to wear a hat and crack a whip or shoot lasers and fly a spaceship after seeing Ford do it? A starring role in Blade Runner (1982 directed by Ridley Scott), gave audiences one more reason that Harrison would influence a generation of cinematic heroes.
Harrison was born in Chicago, Illinois, joined the Boy Scouts of America, and was a philosophy major in college in Wisconsin. He moved to Los Angeles in his early twenties, and became a professional carpenter while looking for acting roles. His first appearance is a brief scene in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966 starring James Coburn), followed by roles in A Time for Killing (1967 western), and episodes of Mod Squad (1968), The F.B.I. (1969), and Gunsmoke (1972-1973). In 1973 Harrison appeared in American Graffiti, which was written and directed by George Lucas who next cast him in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). He had small roles in well respected films such as The Conversation (1974 starring Gene Hackman) and Apocalypse Now (1979 starring Martin Sheen). Witness (1985 with Kelly McGillis), won 2 Oscars and saw Harrison nominated for Best Actor for his role. Not one to be type cast, Harrison next appeared in a comedy Working Girl (1988 with Melanie Griffith), a thriller Presumed Innocent (1990 with Raul Julia), and a drama Regarding Henry (1991 with Annette Bening). Two more of Tom Clancy’s novels were turned into films starring Ford, Patriot Games (1992 with Sean Bean) and Clear and Present Danger (1994 with Willen Dafoe), and he is great when acting opposite a strong actor such as Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive (1993), Brad Pitt in The Devil’s Own (1997), or Gary Oldman in Air Force One (1997). Surprising performances of Harrison Ford include Six Days Seven Nights (1998 with Anne Heche), What Lies Beneath (2000 with Michelle Pfeiffer), and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002 directed by Kathryn Bigelow). Ford has also appeared in Morning Glory (2010 with Rachel McAdams), Cowboys & Aliens (2011 with Daniel Craig), 42 (2013 with Chadwick Boseman), Ender’s Game (2013 with Asa Butterfield), The Expendables 3 (2014 with Sylvester Stallone), and The Age of Adaline (2015 with Blake Lively). Coming soon for Harrison is Blade Runner 2049 (with Ryan Gosling, directed by Denis Villeneuve), and so may be another Indiana Jones film (directed by Steven Spielberg).
Thank you and Happy Birthday Harrison!