In the vast constellation of Hollywood stars, where larger-than-life personalities often dominate the landscape, Harrison Ford stands as a true anomaly. While stardom is often a sought-after outcome in the entertainment industry, Ford has consistently demonstrated a distinct discomfort with the trappings of celebrity.
He's historically despised press junkets and glitzy Hollywood parties, preferring a retreat to the quiet comfort of his ranch. Or if he really needs an escape, he'll go where it's physically impossible to reach him and climb into the cockpit of one of his vintage airplanes before taking to the skies.
Indeed, the former carpenter didn't enter the entertainment industry to pose for paparazzi or answer questions about his latest film. He's in it for the work itself. And he exudes a stoic, no-nonsense, get-it-done attitude that elevates his rugged appeal.
It's an attitude he brings with him to the big screen. Whether he's hunting down a mythical artifact as daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones or blasting Storm Troopers as space cowboy Han Solo, Ford is most at home when he's playing a man primarily interested in doing his job and doing it well - sans fuss.
As the 80-year-old Ford channels that ethos once more in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and final installment in the series, let's look back at the greatest roles from his legendary 60-year career.
Air Force One (1997)
Columbia/Tri-Star
Ford plays US President James Marshall, who's taken hostage by a group of Eastern European terrorists (led by an insane Gary Oldman) who hijack Air Force One. It's Die Hard in the sky, chockful of fun, cheesy one-liners ("Get off my plane!"), but Ford keeps the film from crashing and burning with his rough and glowering presence.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
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Ford and co-star Michelle Pfeiffer play a couple whose daughter has just moved away for college. But new residents have moved in to take her place in the Vermont lake house: ghosts. Nasty ones. And as this chilling horror film unfolds, the line between reality and the supernatural becomes as hazy as the fog that rolls in from the lake, and Ford delivers the darkest, most tormented performance of his career.
The Mosquito Coast (1986)
Warner Bros
Ford takes on the role of Allie Fox, a brilliant but unstable inventor disillusioned with American consumerism who decides to move his family to Central America and start a utopia. This is Ford at his most unlikeable. While the plot meanders a bit, Ford tackles the character study of a father's egotism and delivers an ambitious, powerful performance.
American Graffiti (1973)
Universal/LucasFilm
Ford plays hot rod racer Bob Alfa in this love letter to George Lucas's teenage years. Alfa is a mouthy and rebellious cowboy whose wits are as quick as his '55 Chevy - undoubtedly the inspiration for Ford's role in that little space movie Lucas would direct a few years later.
The Fugitive (1993)
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After being wrongfully arrested for the murder of his wife, Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) sets out to find the real killer while evading capture in this classic thriller. The tense yet subtle film foregoes much of the over-the-top action to make way for a sleuthing Ford, who expertly channels Kimble's anguish, confusion, and determination alongside a stunning performance by co-star Tommy Lee Jones.
Witness (1985)
Getty/Paramount
Ford portrays John Book, a tough and experienced Philadelphia detective who finds himself immersed in a world far removed from his own when he becomes the protector and confidant of a young Amish boy who has witnessed a murder. When the film dropped, Ford was known best as the source of clever one-liners in between bombastic set pieces on Star Wars and Indiana Jones. But Witness marked a turning point in Ford's career, proving he could also excel in more dramatic and character-driven roles.
Jack Ryan (series, 1992/1994)
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Everything up until this point on the list was squeezed into the gaps between the Blockbuster franchises for which Ford is known best. These in-between films permitted him to take some risks, but at his core, Ford is a franchise man. His role as Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan may not be quite as iconic as his other film series, and Ryan may be a less-than-nuanced character (he loves the USA, hates terrorists, and that's about as deep as it goes), but Ford unloads heaps of charm onto what could have become as flavorless and American as a plain slice of Wonder Bead.
Blade Runner (series, 1982/2017)
Sunset Boulevard/Getty
In this dystopian neo-noir masterpiece directed by Ridley Scott, Deckard (Ford) is a former Blade Runner—a specialized law enforcement officer tasked with hunting down and "retiring" rogue humanoid robots known as replicants. Ford's world-weary eyes and perpetual five o'clock shadow, dimly illuminated against a backdrop of towering neon skyscrapers and a constant downpour of rain, came to define the cyberpunk genre.
Star Wars (series, 1977-2019)
Sunset Boulevard/Getty
Ford made the roguish and charismatic smuggler-turned-hero, Han Solo, truly his own. And as the epic series went on, Lucas gave Ford carte blanche to channel his man's man ethos and solidify the character as a fan-favorite. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980), just as Solo is about to be frozen in carbonite, Leia (Carrie Fisher) tells him: "I love you," to which Solo replies: "I know" - a changeup Ford made in the moment that vastly improves upon the scripted line: "I love you, too."
Indiana Jones (series, 1981-2023)
Paramount/Getty Images
Ford made Indiana Jones more than an action hero. Indy is synonymous with everything that delights us about going to the movies — a symbol for the whole of the medium.
Ford embodies the spirit of an old-school swashbuckling hero as Indy risks his life to protect ancient artifacts from the clamoring hands of greedy evildoers. And like the intrepid archaeologist, Ford digs deep into Indy's rugged surface and excavates the disarming qualities that make him so loveable, whether it's his fear of snakes or his genuine passion for history.
And it would seem, in turn, the role of the whip-cracking explorer disarms Ford as well. In a recent interview about the fifth and final film in the franchise, Dial of Destiny, Journalist Ali Plumb said, "Can I just say on behalf of all the fans, thank you. It's been such an adventure." Plumb added, "We love you so much. I don't want to make you blush or anything, but you mean the world to us and thank you."
Ford - notorious for his aversion to pressers - became emotional, fighting back tears. "And I must say to you thank you sincerely," he said. "It means the world to me."
