Celebrities

Harrison Ford is one of the most prolific actors in the world. He has been in dozens of movies, both successful and unsuccessful. Most people know him from his role of Han Solo in Star Wars or as Indiana Jones in this series of movies, but he has played many different roles with great success. Acting is not his only skill, however, as he can also produce, fly airplanes, do high quality carpentry work, and more.

The Early Years

Ford came into the world on July 13, 1942 at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Dorothy and Christopher Ford were former actors and they gave Harrison and his brother, Terence, a very good childhood. Harrison was in the Boy Scouts and achieved the second highest ranking possible. During his high school years at Maine East High School, he became the first student voice broadcasted on the high school's new radio station. This was his first foray into entertainment and he caught the acting bug when he took a drama class during his senior year at Ripon College. He then moved to Los Angeles after graduation to try his hand at voice-overs, without much success.

Harrison and His Career Start

Although he did not find success in the voice-over world at this time, he did manage to get contract work with Columbia Pictures' New Talent program. He did small bit parts in movies and made $150 a week doing that, even though he was not credited for any of his parts. The first credited role that Harrison Ford had was in the 1967 Western, A Time for Killing. While he had other roles in many different television roles, including Gunsmoke, Ironside, American Style, Kung Fu, and Love, American Style. The roles that he was cast in were not satisfactory to Ford, however, so he taught himself some carpentry skills and took some time away from making movies to make money for his family. He worked for George Lucas-making him some cabinets, and this was the turning point that he never expected.

From Making Cabinets to Making Movies

George Lucas and Harrison Ford connected while he was building cabinets and Lucas gave him a job reading lines for the actors who were auditioning for Star Wars. While he was not expecting it, his readings led to Lucas offering him the role of Han Solo, which helped to propel him into movie history. This was just the beginning of his career. He then starred in the Indiana Jones series of movies and many other movies, including Air Force One, Patriot Games, Extraordinary Measures, and Cowboys & Aliens.

Harrison and His Personal Life

The thing about Harrison Ford is that he keeps his personal life very personal. While he has put his life out there in films, he keeps his personal life close to the vest. He has been married three times and has five children and three grandchildren. His latest marriage is to Calista Flockhart and they have one child, Liam. Harrison is not just about acting and producing. He has many interests including aviation, environmental causes, politics, archaeology, and community work.

Han Solo and Indiana Jones may be his two most recognizable characters, but he is so much more than these two different roles. He has been in numerous different movies, including movies based on the Tom Clancy books. Harrison Ford is sure to be one actor that will be remembered and enjoyed for years to come. He is a classy movie star that is sure to continue entertaining us far into the future. Keep your eye out on his career and you will be sure to see amazing movies that you will enjoy.