Harrison Ford Profile

Between 1980 and 1984 Harrison Ford had the most iconic run of movie roles of all time. Continuing the Star Wars saga in 1980 as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back, he went on to play Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Rick Deckard in Blade Runner (1982), Solo again in Return of the Jedi (1983) and Indy again in ‘Temple of Doom (1984). If you believe in fate, he was destined to play these roles. But then again no mystical energy field controls his destiny. The possibility of successfully playing Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard is approximately 3,720 to 1 (but never tell him the odds). He’s flown from one side of the galaxy to the other, found the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.

But Lucas never wanted to cast Ford when he made Star Wars. He had cast him previously in his 1973 comedy drama American Graffiti, and wanted an unknown cast for his then risky sci-fi adventure. Ford agreed to Read Lines for other actors however, and eventually got the part. You can watch Kurt Russell’s audition here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nix_PID3oiA Thank the maker he didn’t get it. Lucas was also hesitant to cast him as Indy, as he didn’t want to make ‘another Harrison Ford movie’. Tom Selleck was Spielberg’s second choice after ford, but fate intervened again. Selleck turned down the role as he was due to shoot Magnum P.I. Annoyingly for Selleck, by the time Raiders was shot, Magnum was yet to start production. You can watch his audition here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUXCXCKbXb8 He’s actually pretty good, but it’s hard to imagine Indy with a moustache.

So was ford lucky with casting? Is he so iconic because of the heroes he portrays, or are his characters so iconic because he played them? Undoubtedly, Ford brings a lot to his roles. He famously suggested the shooting of the swordsman (instead of an elaborate swordfight; the shooting was notoriously stressful, the cast suffering from dysentery) in Raiders, and instead of the scripted response to Princes Leia’s ‘I love you’ (to which he was to respond with ‘I love you too’) he changed his line to the best in the saga:  ‘I know’. The line typified Solo’s character, cementing his self-assuredness, something he became known for, and a quality in all the characters he portrays.

Ford offers something other action stars can’t. He is arrogant yet quiet, boyish yet masculine and strong as well as vulnerable. His performance in Blade Runner showed a range he had not yet displayed, not just cocky and roguish, but also sensitive, needing to be needed. His intellectualism in the Indy films would have been hard to pull off for most action stars (would you be convinced by Stallone or Willis deciphering the stone markers, or remembering that ‘In the Latin alphabet, Jehovah starts with an ‘I’ without it sounding B-movie?). It’s hard to describe any of his characters without using his name, and for most actors, this is referred to as typecasting; a roguish scoundrel, an everyman action star. Ford goes beyond this however, almost creating a style of performance, now imitated by the likes of Chris Pine and Nathon Fillion (who pretty much plays Han Solo in Serenity; ‘Mal’ is a cocky gun for hire strutting around the screen with a trusty blaster holstered at his side).

So he’s found himself a niche; a relatable hero who’s cocky yet real, and played it better than anyone else. He became the most bankable star of the 80’s, his films grossing over $2 billion at the box office. Star Wars propelled him to stardom, while Mark Hammill was doomed to voice cartoons (since Star Wars he’s made a name for himself as The Joker in Batman cartoons and videogames, and was pretty darn good at it), having to wait 32 years before returning to the limelight in episode VII.

Part of the appeal is also his off-screen persona. He gives little away about his private life, and in interviews he seems to take nothing seriously, almost toying with people. What we see of Ford is Indiana Jones and Han Solo, which is preferable than knowing what he is; a real person. In interviews he is almost a character he portrays; confident, with little regard to what others think. “Am I grumpy? I might be. But I think maybe sometimes it’s misinterpreted. I’ve always been an independent son of a bitch, so if I’m grumpy, then call me grumpy. I’m all right with that.” Han Solo. I mean Harrison Ford.