Harrison Ford owes his international success as an actor primarily to George Lucas. However, he does not cherish his role as Han Solo as much as another iconic character in a film.
Before Harrison Ford became internationally known in 1977 for his role as Han Solo, he mainly played minor roles. He appeared in George Lucas’s second film, in American Graffiti. When the director was planning his major space opera Star Wars, he decided to give Ford a bigger role.
The film became a huge success, something even George Lucas had not anticipated. The main actors Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and of course Harrison Ford became famous and popular overnight.
However, the Star Wars saga is not Harrison Ford’s favoured franchise, and Han Solo is not his favourite role. This honour goes to another iconic character.
A call changed everything
Which role is Ford grateful for? We are talking about Indiana Jones, a character that Harrison Ford has embodied in 5 films now. How they compare, you can find out in our ranking on MeinMMO.
In 1981, four years after Star Wars, Ford was approved for the role. The actor recalls in a conversation with WSJ. Style on YouTube about that time:
George Lucas called me and said: ‘I have a script that I will send to your home. I want you to read it and go to Steven Spielberg’s house and talk to him briefly.’ And I went home with the grand prize.
Ford was thrilled. Even the contract that committed him to three films could not persuade the actor otherwise. That was different with Star Wars. Back then, he initially refused to be involved in an entire trilogy. With Indy, however, Ford was eager and enthusiastic.
Initially, he was not the first choice for the role.
Who was supposed to play Indiana Jones? Originally, George Lucas was against casting his friend in a film again. Thus, he settled on actor Tom Selleck. You can watch the screen tests of that on YouTube.
Ultimately, there were scheduling problems with Selleck. Lucky for Harrison Ford: He received that call and shortly thereafter the role of Indiana Jones. This also pleased Steven Spielberg, who directed the film series. After all, he wanted Harrison Ford from the very beginning.
Ford feels great gratitude today for Indiana Jones. The films further increased his popularity and secured him a second leading role in a major franchise. As Indy, he is still loved by fans today. However, director Steven Spielberg is not satisfied with all the offshoots: Indiana Jones 2 is even criticized by Steven Spielberg himself, but another cult director loves the film all the more
