Actor Harrison Ford was born in the United States on July 13, 1942. He is currently the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America, with more than $5.4 billion in North America and $9.3 billion worldwide. In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award and four Golden Globe Awards, he has received several honors, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. He has played the lead role in numerous genres of movies and is recognized as a representative of American culture.
Ford’s starring role as Han Solo in the epic space opera movie Star Wars (1977), which he reprised in four sequels over the following 42 years, catapulted him to international recognition after his early career in little parts and supporting roles.
He is also well-known for playing Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) action-adventure franchise, as well as Rick Deckard in the dystopian science fiction movies Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and the Tom Clancy character Jack Ryan in the spy thriller movies Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (2002).
He has worked with some of his era’s most renowned and influential filmmakers, including George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Peter Weir, Roman Polanski, and Mike Nichols, throughout his six-decade career.
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Harrison Ford Net Worth
Harrison Ford is an American actor, pilot, aviator, and producer with a $300 million fortune. According to tradition, Harrison Ford was a struggling actor who made a livelihood as a carpenter when he was chosen for the part that would make him a movie superstar.
He was invited to read in front of other performers arriving to audition for a new movie called “Star Wars” while constructing cabinets for George Lucas. Because of how well he read, he eventually received the role of Han Solo, and the rest is history. After “Star Wars,” he went on to star in the famous “Indiana Jones” series as well as numerous other critically acclaimed and financially rewarding independent films, including “Blade Runner,” “Witness,” “The Devil’s Own,” “The Fugitive,” and “What Lies Beneath.” In the films “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger,” he also portrayed Jack Ryan.
Despite having a less-than-stellar career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he has experienced a complete comeback recently, appearing in the box office hits “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “Cowboys & Aliens,” “The Expendables 3,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Blade Runner 2049,” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Three of Harrison Ford’s films are among the top five highest-grossing films.
Harrison Ford Early Life
In Chicago, Illinois, on July 13, 1942, Harrison Ford was born. At Wisconsin’s Ripon College, he pursued a degree in philosophy. Harrison enrolled in a theatre class in the final quarter of his senior year to overcome a lifelong timidity. Acting quickly became his addiction.
He remained in Wisconsin after graduating and participated in several regional theatre plays. He went to Los Angeles in 1964 to appear in a radio voice-over audition. Despite not getting the job, he decided to remain in Los Angeles.
Eventually, he was admitted into Columbia Pictures’ brand-new talent program, which offered a $150 weekly salary. He only received a small number of insignificant and frequently uncredited jobs between 1966 and 1973.
Harrison needed to work as a carpenter to provide for his wife and two young sons. Luckily, he completed some carpentry work for Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas. Ford caught the attention of producer Fred Roos through Coppola (a producer on The Godfather).
Harrison attended an audition for George Lucas’ upcoming film American Graffiti thanks to Roos (also produced by Coppola). As Bob Falfa, Harrison made a spectacular performance and got the role. With a $770,000 budget, American Graffiti would become one of the most successful movies, grossing over $140 million. Due to his success, Lucas secured funding from Fox to start making the space epic he had been planning for years.
Harrison landed supporting roles in Coppola’s films Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Conversation (1974). However, George Lucas’s space opera made Harrison Ford a global icon. As you might have guessed, that movie was Star Wars from 1977.
Harrison Ford Star Wars
Lucas initially hired Harrison to audition alongside other performers, but he ultimately chose to cast him as Han Solo. Harrison received a weekly salary of $500 from American Graffiti before earning $10,000 from Star Wars. That is equivalent to almost $42,000 after inflation.
Harrison Ford’s Personal Life
From 1964 through 1979, Harrison was wed to Mary Marquardt. Together, they produced two boys, one of whom was Benjamin Ford, a restaurateur. Harrison married Melissa Mathison, a scriptwriter for E.T., in 1983. Additionally, they had two kids. Harrison gave Mathison a $90-$100 million divorce settlement after they split up in 2004. One of the most costly celebrity splits in history.
In 2010, Harrison wed the actress Calista Flockhart. Following their encounter at the Golden Globe Awards, they started dating in 2002. They raise her adopted son Liam.