Synopsis
Born July 13, 1942,
in Chicago, Illinois, Harrison Ford struggled for years as an actor
before George Lucas cast him in 1973's American Graffiti. Ford then
hit superstardom as Han Solo in the three Star Wars films and as
Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and its three sequels, which
were all monster successes. He has gone on to play leading roles in
numerous Hollywood films.
Early Life
Born on July 13,
1942 in Chicago, Illinois, actor Harrison Ford has starred in some of
Hollywood's biggest films, such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost
Ark. He grew up in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago, as the son of an
advertising executive and a stay-at-home mother. As a child, Ford was
targeted by bullies. He went to Maine Township High School where he
was involved in the social science and model train clubs, according
to People magazine.
After graduating in
1960, Ford studied English and philosophy at Ripon College in
Wisconsin. There, he discovered an interest in performing nearly by
accident. Ford signed up for a drama course, hoping for an easy good
grade. "I was terrified to get up in front of people, but I
really enjoyed the storytelling part," he explained to People
magazine.
Ford wasn't the best
student in college, and he ended up leaving before completing his
degree. With his future wife, Mary Marquardt, he made his way to
Hollywood in the mid-1960s. Ford first landed a deal with Columbia
Pictures as a contract player, earning $150 a week. He then ended up
at Universal. In 1966, Ford made his film debut in a bit part in Dead
Heat on a Merry-Go-Round. Studio executives were less than impressed
with him. One studio official told him that "You'll never make
it in this business," Ford told the Hollywood Reporter.
Breakthrough Films
Frustrated with his
lack of success as an actor, Ford became a carpenter to supplement in
his income. George Lucas gave him his first important film role in
his 1973 drama American Graffiti, but his career failed to progress
much. He worked for Francis Ford Coppola as both a carpenter and an
actor with small roles in The Conversation (1974) and Apocalypse Now
(1979).
In 1977, Ford
collaborated with Lucas again for his breakthrough role as Han Solo
in Star Wars. His portrayal of the brash but likeable rogue in this
science fiction classic helped raise his profile in Hollywood. The
film's two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the
Jedi (1983), helped make him a star.
Around this time,
Ford brought another of his legendary film characters to the big
screen. He played a resourceful, swashbuckling archaeologist Indiana
Jones in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was directed by Steven
Spielberg. The action adventure tale, written in part by George
Lucas, proved to be a huge hit. It spawned several sequels, including
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade (1989).
Top Movie Star
Ford enhanced his
reputation as a dramatic actor with several significant roles in the
mid-1980s. He received an Academy Award nomination for his work in
1985's Witness, a crime drama co-starring Kelly McGillis and directed
by Peter Weir. The following year, Ford reteamed with Weir to play an
offbeat inventor in The Mosquito Coast with River Phoenix and Helen
Mirren. While the film was a commercial disappointment, the film
allowed Ford to tackle an unusual and sometimes unlikable character.
In 1988, he showed his lighter side in the popular romantic comedy
Working Girl with Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver.
Returning to the
role of action hero, Ford starred in 1992's Patriot Games. He plays
CIA agent Jack Ryan, the protagonist from the best-selling novels by
Tom Clancy, in the film. Audiences loved him in the role, which
reprised in 1994's Clear and Present Danger. By this time, Ford had
become one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. He earned $20 million
per film with 15 percent of the film's gross take at the box office
at his peak.
After years of
blockbuster success, Ford stumbled through a few missteps in the
mid-to-late 1990s. He starred in the disappointing remake of the 1954
dramatic comedy Sabrina with Julia Ormand and Greg Kinnear.
Co-starring with Brad Pitt, Ford saw his 1997 crime thriller The
Devil's Own fall flat. But he proved that his box office prowess had
not faded with his turn as president of the United States in the hit
action thriller Air Force One that same year.
Recent Projects
In early 2000s, Ford
took on fewer movie roles. The parts he did play had mixed results.
He partnered up with Josh Hartnett for 2003's Hollywood Homicide, a
light-hearted crime drama that received a tepid reception from
movie-goers. In 2006, his thriller Firewall came and went with little
notice. Ford returned to form with one of the franchises that made
him famous in 2008. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull
reached the top spot at the box office its opening weekend, and it
went on to earn more than $786 million worldwide, according to the
Box Office Mojo website.
Ford took on an
unusual form of action film in 2010 with Cowboys & Aliens, facing
off against Daniel Craig. That same year, his comedy Morning Glory
with Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton fared well at the box office. In
2013, he showed his dramatic talents in 42, a film about the life of
African-American baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Ford plays Branch
Rickey, the baseball executive who signed Robinson to the baseball's
major leagues. He appeared in the science fiction adventure Ender's
Game and the thriller Paranoia, both in 2013.
In late April 2014,
Ford delighted film fans everywhere with the news that he will appear
in Star Wars: Episode VII, the latest installment in the long-running
popular series. The cast also includes some of his earlier Star Wars
co-stars, including Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. The film,
directed by J.J. Abrams, is set for a December 2015 release.
2015 Plane Crash
A longtime pilot,
Ford made headlines in March 2015 when he was involved in a plane
crash. He was forced to make a crash landing on a golf course in
Venice, California, after experiencing engine trouble. He had run
into problems with his vintage aircraft shortly after taking off from
California's Santa Monica Airport on March 5.
According to the New
York Daily News, Ford broke his ankle and pelvis in the crash. Both
injuries required surgery to repair the damaged bones. He also
suffered cuts to his face and arms, but his injuries are "not
life-threatening," according to a statement from his
spokesperson. Ford is expected to make a full recovery.
Personal Life
Harrison Ford was
married to his college girlfriend Mary Marquardt from 1964 to 1979.
The couple have two sons together. He married screenwriter Melissa
Mathison in 1983. They met during the making of 1979's Apocalypse
Now. They had two children together before separating in 2001. Ford
and Mathison finalized their divorce in 2004. Ford has been
romantically involved with actress Calista Flockhart since 2002. The
couple married in 2010.
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