Harrison Ford’s having a bit of a moment (again) with the release of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Dial, as he’s reprising the iconic role he originated in Spielberg’s Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark, Shrinking, the Apple TV show helmed by Ted Lasso writers for which he plays a paternal shrink to Jason Seegl, for which he was recently snubbed for an emmy, and this week Ford turns 81. There are truly few actors period – least of all alive today – who have the breadth of truly iconic roles to match Ford, and to recognize his incredible career we thought we’d highlight some of Ford’s most iconic roles.
Bob Falfa – American Graffiti
One of Harrison Ford’s earliest roles of note, and for many his breakout role, is Bob Falfa in George Lucas’s American Graffiti. American Graffiti took a look at 1950s youth in that transitory period between high school and college/careers. Falfa shows the confidence, and sometimes arrogance, of many of Ford’s later characters, and in an ensemble film with many career launching performances (Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Mackenzie Phillips, and Cindy Williams), Ford still stands out even in his comparatively brief role. Though not a leading man yet, Ford’s promise was clear even in this early performance.
Han Solo – Star Wars
Harrison Ford’s Han Solo seems like a natural transition from the brash Falfa that introduced many to him as an actor. Just replace a car with a Millenium Falcon and you can almost picture it, especially with Solo’s often condescending relationship to Luke. Over the trilogy though, and really all the Star Wars films to come, we know there’s some heart under that brusque demeanor, even if one of his iconic quotes ‘I know’ emphasizes just how tight it’s all locked away. Still this introduced Ford as an actor who could portray depth, a roguish charm, and do it all while shooting and running – essential skills that would be used for many films to come.
Indiana Jones – Indiana Jones
©Disney
If you pictured an archaeologist, and teacher, named Dr. Henry Walton you likely wouldn’t picture one of the most iconic action heroes of the last century. Call him Indy and have Harrison Ford play him and it suddenly makes sense. Many might call Indiana Jones Harrison Ford’s most iconic role, and their argument seems to be strong as the character, and the franchise, has expanded now into 2023 with Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny. While you may also make the case that the movies themselves at times vastly vary in quality, pretty much never is that shouldered on Ford, who continues to be a stalwart of the series as he’s now outlasted even the originators Spielberg and Lucas.
Rick Deckard – Blade Runner
Blade Runner like Indiana Jones could be seen as an update of a classic serial format, though in this case more noir than adventure. What resulted though was way more than just a modern look at a genre, as Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner delves into questions of humanity, technology, and identity. Though Ford did not always share a lot of love for this film (and depending on which version they watched audiences didn’t either), it’s stood the test of time as Ford’s Deckhard, and the entire film now seems incredibly prescient for today’s era.
Dr. Richard Kimble – The Fugitive
In so many of Ford’s iconic roles he plays characters who, through strength, luck, or skill, have the upper hand. The Fugitive though truly takes a Ford character and turns his world upside down, as Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble who is framed for his wife’s murder and while on the run must prove his innocence. Ford has to almost play down the bravado and sureness for which he was known for, since you had to buy that this doctor was truly lost on his own. Buy it we all did as critics and audiences alike loved the film, as well as his performance, giving the 1990s just one of Harrison’s major blockbusters of the decade.
Air Force One – President James Marshall
Many actors have starred as Presidents; however, so few have had to balance the gravitas of the office and the insanity of an action film in the same movie. Yet that was Harrison Ford’s task in Air Force One, a film that is perhaps as iconic for its lines – Get off my plane! in particular – as anything else. Though this film more than others on this list seem of their time, this was still peak action hero Ford doing what heroes need to do, and now Ford’s legacy is included in one of the more memorable fictional Presidents portrayed on screen.
Dr. Paul Rhoades – Shrinking
Source: Apple TV+
Harrison Ford has become wonderfully comfortable playing stubborn, curmudgeonly characters even more often as he has aged, which makes sense as you could picture a few of his younger characters growing up to be just that (or already being like that). Shrinking is that but with layers, as his character Dr. Paul Rhoades uses his hard exterior to mask his doubts, insecurities, and to hide his hurt, and Ford’s ability to play all that so convincingly shows why he’s still such an incredible actor this late in his career. Ford’s snub at the Emmy’s is certainly one of the bigger snubs this year, though its nice to see that with critics and audiences Ford is still receiving such love for his later performances.
