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Top 10 Harrison Ford

While we might want to overlook a few of his recent projects, Harrison Ford has led some of the most memorable movies of all time, and – at 71 – is still a tough Hollywood contender. In fact, the man’s an absolute living legend. And here are our Top 10 Harrison Ford movies...

Top 10 Films

American Graffiti (1973)

Five-time Oscar-nominated American Graffiti sees a fresh-faced Ford breaking into the movie business alongside soon to be super-producer, Ron Howard. It was pretty handy for director George Lucas too, and based on his own teenage years in early 1960s Modesto, centred on the music and cruising culture of a group of tearaway baby-boomers. Harrison allegedly refused to cut his hair for the part, and was forced to wear a hat instead.

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The Conversation (1974)

In the presence of Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and heavyweight director Francis Ford Coppola, Ford didn’t cower – demonstrating skills that won over cast and crew. Coppola was so impressed by Ford’s performance, in fact, that he developed Ford’s smallish role as Martin Stett into something more substantial.

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

The game changer in Harrison’s career, Han Solo nearly appeared as a green-skinned monster. But at the very last minute, George Lucas decided to base the character on old pal and fellow director Francis Ford Coppola, and to override his policy of not hiring any of his former actors. Ford, who’d almost given up on acting for the carpentry trade, would reprise this iconic role twice, of course, in what became the biggest trilogy of all time.

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Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Again, Lucas came close to derailing Ford’s stardom, very doubtful about hiring him for a third time. But Harrison was director Steven Spielberg’s first choice for Indy, and after he and executive producer Lucas searched high and low, Ford snatched the gig from the jaws of Tom Selleck. And the four-time Oscar-winning adventure propelled Harrison into the A-list, with three sequels to follow.

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Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s dystopian sci-fi thriller is a cult and critical hit, but wasn’t the smoothest working experience for director and star. After disagreements about the much-debated voiceover, Ford openly bashed Scott: "Blade Runner is not one of my favourite films. I tangled with Ridley." Scott may even have cast Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones or Al Pacino, had Spielberg not recommended Ford.

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Witness (1985)

For his only Oscar nomination to date, Ford teamed up with director Peter Weir to tell the story of a detective protecting a young Amish boy, who’s the only witness to a brutal murder. The film was well received and made an impressive return at the box office, but suffered heavy criticism from the Amish community for its ‘inaccurate’ portrayal of their culture.

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Patriot Games (1992)

After playing CIA Analyst Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October, Alec Baldwin was scheduled for the sequel, Patriot Games, but a delay in production meant a dramatic change to the line-up. Ford had been offered Red October originally and turned it down, but found this script much more to his liking, and finally agreed to take the role. A sequel would follow in 1994, and a Ben Affleck prequel in 2002.

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The Fugitive (1993)

Tommy Lee Jones got The Fugitive’s solitary win from seven nominations, which somehow didn’t include Ford’s fully committed man-on-the-run performance, one of his finest to date. He threw himself into the part so far, he even ignored surgery on a torn ligament, so his character would retain a limp. And not wanting to taint his feeling for the character, Ford also avoided watching any of the original TV series starring David Janssen.

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Air Force One (1997)

In 1997, Ford proved he could command not only the big-screen, but a country too, as US President James Marshall. Vying for the part with another actorly action hero, Kevin Costner, the role fell to Ford when a tight filming schedule on The Postman paved the way for him to kick some terrorist butt aboard the hijacked plane of the title.

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What Lies Beneath (2000)

Deliberately Hitchcockian in style, director Robert “Back to the Future” Zemeckis said Ford and co-star Michelle Pfeiffer were his first choice for the roles, the former stepping out of his comfort zone into this supernatural horror. It received mixed reviews, but the stars are solid and effective, and the film offers a nice, nail-biting line in escalating tension and jumpy frights.

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Jennifer Trevorrow