Harrison Ford – biography, photos, facts, family, kids, affairs, height and weight 2020

Harrison Ford’s biography

Harrison Ford is an actor and producer who has played dozens of roles in his life. But two of his heroes will remain in the annals of cinema forever: They are Han Solo from the Star Wars and fearless scientist and treasure hunter Indiana Jones.

No need to be introduced, actor Harrison Ford

Among other films starring him are the Blade Runner fantastic blockbuster, the Apocalypse Now war drama, and The Fugitive action film. In 1986 he was nominated for an Oscar for the lead role in the film Witness.

Harrison Ford on the set of the Star Wars

In addition to his main activity, the actor is the vice president of the American Society for the Protection of Nature. He calls all fans of his art to remember that man is just one of the many species that inhabit our planet.

Childhood and family

Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942, in the maternity home of Chicago, Illinois. Christopher Ford, an advertising agency manager, and Dorothy Nudelman, a former actress on radio, became the firstborn’s happy parents. After the birth of her son, his mother became a housewife. Three years later, Harrison’s younger brother, Terence was born.

A very interesting cocktail was mixed in the actor's veins: the grandparents on the father’s side were Catholic Irish, and the maternal grandparent's Harry (in who’s honor the actor got his name) and Anna were Jews from Minsk who had emigrated to the States in 1906. The child of the inter-ethnic marriage, to the question on the influence of his roots on his worldview, the actor always answered: As a person, I just felt like Irish, and as an actor, I was a Jew. As for religion, I am a democrat, liberal to the last strip

The house where Harrison Ford spent his childhood

The boy grew up in the town of Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago. In childhood quiet and shy Harrison had a lot of problems with the local hooligans. He found peace in a troop of boy scouts, where he showed great success. In the end, he reached the second possible Scout rank – the Life. Higher was only the Eagle. It was in honor of Ford’s childhood merits that Steven Spielberg made the young Indie a scout in the plot of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

In high school, he became interested in social studies and attended the trained model design section. When the school management launched the student radio, he became the first announcer and commented on sports matches.

From the left: the future actor with his parents and brother Terence

After graduating from school in 1960 Harrison Ford began to study philosophy at the Ripon College in Wisconsin. In the last year, he enrolled in a theater group to overcome shyness. And, as Ford himself recalled later, he was fascinated by acting: I just matured late, but finally found myself. Hardly overcoming the fear of public speaking, he went on stage and forgot about everything, fascinated by his hero’s story.

Harrison Ford overcame shyness but didn’t graduate from college

As for studies he showed himself not from the best side and when there was nothing left till the graduation, he was expelled.

The loser actor

In 1964 he and Mary Marquardt, his college friend, and future wife moved to Hollywood, hoping to find a job for their soul. For two years he worked as a barman until he signed a contract with the studio Columbia, where he was promised $150 for each role.

At the beginning of his career, Harrison Ford worked for pennies at the studio Columbia

Ford received his first role in cinema in the Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round crime drama in 1966. He appeared in one of the scenes as a messenger and received his first fee - the promised $150. Someone from the management then scornfully threw him: Tie Loser, you will not succeed

Harrison Ford’s first role in cinema

He was given small roles in the comedy Luv, The Mod Squad, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, The F.B.I., Love, American Style, Kung Fu popular TV series. A little more time (and not a single remark) was given to his character - a student arrested at a rally - in the Zabriskie Point philosophical drama-parable, but ... all the scenes with his participation were cut out during the final editing.

Young Harrison Ford (the last from the right) when he was a carpenter

Leaving his dream, Ford, already the father of two kids by that time, decided to make a living as a carpenter. And, as it turned out, he made the most important choice in his life. He made the stage for Jim Morrison’s concert, then built a home solarium for actress Sally Kellerman, assembled furniture in the house of producer Fred Roos.

A photo from the fifth episode of the Star Wars

While working, Ford talked to Roos and the latter promised him to audition for George Lucas’s new picture the American Graffiti. After casting, the actor was approved for the secondary role of Bob Falfa. The youth comedy awaited a huge success. The film became an innovator in its genre, and many years later many critics noted its influence on his other masterpieces – the Dazed and Confused with young Matthew McConaughey and the Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

A shot from the American Graffiti (1973)

Star Wars

This experience was unvalued for Ford - good relations with Lucas allowed him to get an invitation to the casting for the Star Wars. Ford auditioned for general purposes and became the space pilot-smuggler Han Solo.

Han Solo made Harrison Ford a world star

Released in 1977 the film instantly became a cult, gathered 7 Oscar statuettes from 11 nominations, and Harrison Ford, as well as Mark Hammil (Luke) and Carrie Fisher (Leia), became world stars. Wherein Ford’s entire fee for that part of the Star Wars was $ 1,000.

He returned to the role of Han Solo in the no less successful sequel of the stellar saga: The Empire Strikes Back and the Return of the Jedi. Ford begged Lucas to kill his character in the last episode - he thought it would give the saga a finished look but the director refused. Only in an interview in 2015, Harrison admitted that Lucas was right.

Han Solo’s dialogue with Jabba the Hutt

In 2014 Ford began shooting in а film, which marked the beginning of the restart of the Star Wars universe. In the seventh episode of The Force Awakens the action takes place 30 years after the grand finale, which appeared on screens in 1983. Ford again appeared in the role of Han Solo. Together with his faithful companion Chewbacca, he tried to bring his son Kylo Ren to the Light Side of the Force, but he was killed. During the set Ford broke his ankle - the 33-meter-high model of the door of his millennial falcon fell on him.

Harrison Ford in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The premiere of the film about young Han Solo was scheduled for 2018 but for obvious reasons, he will not be played by Ford - American Alden Ehrenreich was approved for the role.

Indiana Jones

Ford has many prominent roles on his part but the only one can compete in popularity in popular culture. Of course, we are talking about the legendary smart archaeologist Indiana Jones.

Viewers saw the first part of the adventures of the cult character who inspired many young minds to study history in 1981. The Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark was shot by Steven Spielberg, who came up with the idea of the plot together with George Lucas - they were having a rest in Hawaii together and once, laying on the beach, they built a sandcastle. And there we go.

Spielberg right away saw Harrison Ford for the role, but Lucas, who acted as the producer of the project, opposed him: The audience will think that I specifically shove him into every film!. The creator of the Star Wars tried to sign the star of the Magnum, P.I. series, Tom Selleck, but he was bound by a contract. Further searches were unsuccessful, and three weeks before the shooting began, Ford accepted the offer.

The set of the picture cost Lucas and Spielberg $20 million. The first part of the Indie collected $383 million at the box office, having paid out almost 20 times. Only in the States, the session was attended by more than 88 million viewers, who watched with open mouths as Indiana Jones escaped from the giant ball. This scene, by the way, was shot without doubles. Although the ball was made of glass plastic rather than natural stone, it weighed more than a ton, and Ford was really in danger.

Indiana Jones escaping the stone

In 1985 success was secured by the sequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which came out very difficult for the actor: Harrison damaged his spinal disc while riding an elephant.

Ford fell off the elephant and damaged his spine

The third part Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with Ford and Sean Connery, was released in 1989. The skill of all those who took part in the creation helped the film avoid the loss of audience interest typical for sequels - the ratings were not inferior to the first part.

Though just 15 years older, Sean Connery played the father of Ford’s character

In the early 90s, Ford appeared in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series, however, his appearance was very episodic. And yet, the audience found his play far more convincing than the play of the young Indie George Hill.

Scenes from The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

Nearly 20 years after the release of The Last Crusade, Indiana Jones was decided to revive. Ford, who was no longer in such good shape, recalled his skills in possession of a whip (it took him 6 days to do this) and admitted that at his age very few people can keep a good shape, and he is no exception but he can perfectly imitate it.

In 2008 the actor returned to the role of Indiana Jones

The film received not so good reviews as its predecessors, and the scene where Jones hides from the explosion of an atomic bomb in the refrigerator outraged the audience. However, Spielberg did not abandon the monetary franchise, and soon announced the release of the fifth part.

Blade Runner

In between the first and second parts of Indiana Jones (and the final part of Star Wars), Ford appeared in the Blade Runner cyberpunk thriller by Ridley Scott (an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968)). His hero is Rick Deckard, a policeman who catches replicants who have escaped cyborgs, who are outwardly indistinguishable from people.

Though the picture received a status of a cult, the lead actor disliked it. From the first day of shooting, he began to clash with Ridley Scott. Not only him - few could work with him due to the difficult nature of the director. Most of all Ford was infuriated by the fact that Scott made him voice the off-screen text, and he intentionally did it as bad as possible - he hoped that it would not be included in the final version of the film.

In addition, they disputed the vision of the main character. Ford believed that his hero was a one hundred percent person and by no means can he be a replicant. Scott had a different point of view, as the director’s version of The Runner spoke about 10 years later.

Harrison Ford’s personal life

The actor’s personal life has always been a subject of gossip, the actor himself rarely commented on rumors about his own personality.

Harrison Ford at the Night Show

Marrying Mary Marquardt in 1964, he first became a father two years later. The boy was named Benjamin. In 1969 the couple had a son, Willard. In 1979 the couple filed for divorce.

Harrison Ford’s second wife was screenwriter Melissa Mathison. The wedding took place in 1983. In 1990 Melissa gifted her husband with twins Malcolm and Georgia.

In 2001 their relationship came to an end. In 2002 Ford started a new one with actress Calista Flockhart, whom he met at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. Soon they adopted a boy named Liam. In 2009, on Valentine's Day, Ford made a proposal to his beloved, which she gladly accepted. A year later they were married in the city of Santa Fe, where the set of the Cowboys and Aliens took place.

Harrison Ford’s last beloved – Calista Flockhart

In 2016 Carrie Fisher’s autobiography went on sale, where the actress claimed that she and Ford had a three-month affair in 1976 during the filming of the Star Wars.

Harrison Ford was still married when dating Carrie Fisher

Benjamin Ford decided not to follow his father's steps. He became a chef, then opened the Ford’s Filling Station gastropub chain. Willard owns the Strong Sports Gym. Ford’s older sons made their father a grandfather three times: in 1993 (son Eliel), 2000 (son Ethan), and 2010 (son Waylon).

Harrison Ford’s older sons: the chef and the trainer

Harrison goes in for sports. He attends the gym after a day and plays tennis three times a week.

His main hobby is aviation. He received his first piloting lessons in the 60s but then he simply didn’t have enough money to finish his studies and get a license: an hourly lesson cost $15 (which is approximately $120 by the standards of 2016). It was only in the mid-90s that he bought a private jet on hand and asked a fellow pilot to give him a couple of lessons. Since then, the actor feels in the air like a duck takes to water.

The actor doesn’t imagine his life without flying

In 2000 his passion for flying saved a tourist’s life who had lost her way in the mountains of Idaho. His helicopter landed in front of the stunned woman who didn't even recognize Ford in her savior. As the woman told later, she simply did not expect that a man in a T-shirt and a cowboy hat would turn out to be the Hollywood star. And in 2001 the actor again found a lost man - now it was boy scout Cody Clawson.

In the photo: Harrison Ford and Cody Clawson saved by him

Harrison Ford nowadays

In Autumn 2017, the sequel of the Blade Runner appeared on the screens. The main character played by Ryan Gosling continues the mission of Rick Deckard, who disappeared many years ago, to destroy those, saved from the replicants. Having received the secret information, he goes to search for Deckard.

Blade Runner 2049: Harrison Ford again plays Rick Deckard

During the set Gosling complained to reporters that Ford had accidentally hit him in the face, not calculating his strength while working on the fight scene. I did 80 blows, and 79 of them did not hit Gosling, - Ford joked.

Harrison Ford accidentally hit Ryan Gosling

The premiere of the fifth part of the Indiana Jones is scheduled for 2021, the working title of which still remains a secret. When asked about the future of the franchise, Ford has repeatedly stated that Indiana Jones is not James Bond, he can only be one: The actors of the bondians either grow old or ask a lot of money. But I'm not like that ... to grow old.