It's hard to believe that Harrison Ford is 80 years old. Born in Chicago to a radio actress and actor turned advertising executive, Harrison Ford started out as an average student, dropping out of college to sign a contract with Columbia and later Universal. After a few so-so appearances, Ford left the acting scene to focus on professional carpentry, before returning to screen some 4 years later in American Graffiti (1973).
This return set the platform for a career-defining turn as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). A few years later, Ford caught lightning in a bottle again when he headlined Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Now decades later, Ford's on the verge of retiring the beloved Indiana Jones character in the fifth instalment Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Having led a movie career that's spanned the better part of a century, it seems like a good time to look back at the actor's career.
Harrison Ford has always been a committed and respected actor, but hasn't managed to land that coveted Oscar. While nominated for his leading role detective John Book in Witness (1981), the actor's film career has been muddled by his strong affiliation with mega-blockbuster franchises as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, dabbling with Jack Ryan and Rick Deckard along the way. The Academy Awards are deemed to be the pinnacle of success in the Hollywood game, yet the industry accolades are slanted in favour of drama over other genres. This notion is slowly changing over time as they come to embrace animation and more open-ended achievements as technology begins to play a much larger part of creating these films. Yet, Ford is a product of a century of American film-making, where drama and transformative performances are still prized over mainstream appeal.
The quiet yet charming actor has been a commercial success and while having one of those golden statuettes over his mantelpiece may have been a nice touch, it doesn't really seem crucial for a private pilot and owner of an 800-acre Wyoming ranch. Ford, much like his namesake, is more about delivering reliable, you-see-what-you-get type performances that go the extra mile. A versatile talent with a few trademark elements, he's managed to create a space where he's able to filter into different performances without becoming overtly linked to any one role. This has been a boon for Ford as an actor, developing his name star to attract big headline roles and pay days, retaining a perfect gentleman quality that prevents him from being typecast.
One of the problems with diving headlong into a performance is that it may be so damn good that it becomes difficult for audiences to see anything else when they connect with that performer. These kind of all-or-nothing moves turn heads, show an actor's unquestionable thirst to inhabit their character and can lead to major awards but they can also be risky in terms of career decisions. To his credit, Harrison Ford has stuck to his guns and remained a straight shooter whether evading tribesmen or stormtroopers, ratcheting up a strong body of work in the process. While it's surprising to note that only 25 of his movies have been deemed fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the ever-likable yet rugged Ford has managed to retain due respect and keep his heels clean in even the most unfortunate of movie outings.
A beloved and dedicated Hollywood heavyweight, his efforts were recently acknowledged with an Honorary Golden Palm at the Cannes film festival where Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiered. An emotional moment alongside his wife Calista Flockhart, this lifetime achievement accolade will probably be expected and repeated at forthcoming awards ceremonies. Signaling a humble and respectable career, one can only imagine there will be many more standing ovations to come as the star's evergreen performances continue to remind us why he's Harrison Ford.
