Editing Harrison Ford (section)

=== 1977–1997 ===
Ford's work in ''American Graffiti'' eventually landed him his first starring film role, when Lucas hired him to read lines for actors auditioning for roles in Lucas's upcoming epic space-opera film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977). Lucas was eventually won over by Ford's performance during these line reads and cast him as [[Han Solo]].<ref>Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. Star Wars Trilogy Box Set DVD documentary. [2005]</ref> ''Star Wars'' became one of the most successful and groundbreaking films of all time, and brought Ford, and his co-stars [[Mark Hamill]] and [[Carrie Fisher]], widespread recognition. Ford began to be cast in bigger roles in films throughout the late 1970s, including ''[[Heroes (1977 film)|Heroes]]'' (1977), ''[[Force 10 from Navarone (film)|Force 10 from Navarone]]'' (1978) and ''[[Hanover Street (film)|Hanover Street]]'' (1979). He also co-starred alongside [[Gene Wilder]] in the buddy-comedy western ''[[The Frisco Kid]]'' (1979), playing a bank robber with a heart of gold. Ford returned to star in the successful ''Star Wars'' sequels ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983), as well as the ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' (1978). Ford wanted Lucas to [[kill off]] Han Solo at the end of ''Return of the Jedi'', saying, "That would have given the whole film a bottom," but Lucas refused.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=May 23, 2008|url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/03/02/harrison_ford_wanted_han_solo_to_die|title=Harrison Ford Wanted Han Solo to Die|work=Starpulse|date=March 2, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506212332/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/03/02/harrison_ford_wanted_han_solo_to_die|archive-date=May 6, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Harrison Ford and Chandran Rutnam in Sri Lanka.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Ford with production manager [[Chandran Rutnam]] on the set of ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' in [[Kandy]], [[Sri Lanka]], 1983]]
Ford's status as a leading actor was solidified with ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' (1981), an action-adventure collaboration between Lucas and [[Steven Spielberg]] that gave Ford his second franchise role as the heroic, globe-trotting archaeologist [[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]]. Like ''Star Wars'', the film was massively successful; it became the highest-grossing film of the year. Both Spielberg and Lucas were hesitant in casting Ford in the beginning according to [[Howard Kazanjian]] in his book ''A Producer's Life''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rinzler |first=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Howard_Kazanjian.html?id=3qs3EAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description |title=Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life |date=2021-09-14 |publisher=Abrams |isbn=978-1-64700-661-7 |language=en}}</ref> Lucas's reasons were due to having already worked with him on both ''American Graffiti'' and ''Star Wars''. Lucas relented after [[Tom Selleck]] was unable to accept and Spielberg due to seeing his performance in ''The Empire Strikes Back''. Ford went on to reprise the role throughout the rest of the decade in the prequel ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' (1984), and the sequel ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' (1989). During the June 1983 filming of ''Temple of Doom'' in London, Ford herniated a disc in his back. The 40-year-old actor was forced to fly back to Los Angeles for surgery and returned six weeks later.<ref>{{Cite book| author=Rinzer, J. W.| year = 2008| title = The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films| publisher=Del Rey, imprint of Random House, Inc.| location = New York| page = 153| isbn = 978-0-345-50129-5| quote = Lucas arrived on June 20, [1983]. "Harrison was in really terrible pain," he says. "He was on the set lying on a gurney. They would lift him up and he'd walk through his scenes, and they'd get him back on the bed." That same day Ford filmed his fight with the Thuggee assassin in Indy's suite on Stage 3. "Harrison had to roll backward on top of the guy," Spielberg says. "At that moment his back herniated and Harrison let out a call for help."}}</ref>

Following his leading-man success as Indiana Jones, Ford played Rick Deckard in [[Ridley Scott]]'s dystopian science-fiction film ''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982). Compared to his experiences on the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' films, Ford had a difficult time with the production. He recalled to ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', "It was a long slog. I didn't really find it that physically difficult—I thought it was mentally difficult." Ford and Scott also had differing views on the nature of his character, Deckard, that persist decades later.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/09/the-battle-for-blade-runner-harrison-ford-ridley-scott|title=Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, and the Battle for Blade Runner|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=September 14, 2017|access-date=April 3, 2020|archive-date=July 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706001210/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/09/the-battle-for-blade-runner-harrison-ford-ridley-scott|url-status=live}}</ref> While not initially a success, ''Blade Runner'' became a cult classic and one of Ford's most highly regarded films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blade_runner|title=Blade Runner Reviews|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=June 25, 1982|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605074607/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blade_runner|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford proved his versatility throughout the 1980s with dramatic parts in films such as ''[[Witness (1985 film)|Witness]]'' (1985), ''[[The Mosquito Coast (film)|The Mosquito Coast]]'' (1986), and ''[[Frantic (film)|Frantic]]'' (1988), as well as the romantic male lead opposite [[Melanie Griffith]] and [[Sigourney Weaver]] in the comedy-drama ''[[Working Girl]]'' (1988). ''Witness'' and ''The Mosquito Coast'' allowed Ford to explore his potential as a dramatic actor, and both performances were widely acclaimed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1023854_witness|title=Witness Reviews|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=February 8, 1985|access-date=March 13, 2020|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801143550/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1023854_witness|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mosquito_coast|title=The Mosquito Coast Reviews|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=November 26, 1986|access-date=March 13, 2020|archive-date=December 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225135112/https://rottentomatoes.com/m/mosquito_coast|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford later recalled that working with director [[Peter Weir]] on ''Witness'' and ''The Mosquito Coast'' were two of the best experiences of his career.<ref>(DVD) Between Two Worlds: The Making of Witness. Paramount Pictures. 2005.</ref>

In late 1991, Ford was scheduled to portray company lawyer A. Philip Randolph in an action-historical film titled ''Night Ride Down'', which would have been set around a labor union strike in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=October 1991 |title=Movie steam in Chicago |magazine=Railfan & Railroad |publisher=Carstens Publications |page=47 |volume=10 |issue=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Entertainment News for June 21, 1991 |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/06/21/entertainment-news-june-21-1991/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406032215/https://ew.com/article/1991/06/21/entertainment-news-june-21-1991/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Frook |first=John Evan |title=Studio Talk of Production Cost Cuts Turns into Action |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-12-9103090113-story.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126091146/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-12-9103090113-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Paramount Pictures shelved the project, after Ford quit the film over script changes he disagreed with.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine |date=November 1991 |title=Chicago Movie Dropped |magazine=Railfan & Railroad |publisher=Carstens Publications |page=52 |volume=10 |issue=11}}</ref> In the ensuing years, Ford became the second actor to portray [[Jack Ryan (character)|Jack Ryan]] in two films of the [[Jack Ryan film series|film series]] based on the literary character created by [[Tom Clancy]]: ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]'' (1992) and ''[[Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]'' (1994), both co-starring [[Anne Archer]] and [[James Earl Jones]]. Ford took over the role from [[Alec Baldwin]], who had played Ryan in ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'' (1990). This led to long-lasting resentment from Baldwin, who said that he had wanted to reprise the role but Ford had negotiated with Paramount behind his back.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/alec-baldwin-harrison-ford-feud-2017-4|title=Baldwin and Ford Feud|website=Business Insider|access-date=April 3, 2020|archive-date=May 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519151234/https://www.businessinsider.com/alec-baldwin-harrison-ford-feud-2017-4|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford played leading roles in other action-based thrillers throughout the decade, such as ''[[The Fugitive (1993 film)|The Fugitive]] ''(1993),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046129_fugitive|title=The Fugitive Reviews|website=RottenTomatoes|date=August 6, 1993|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605040114/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1046129_fugitive|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Devil's Own]]'' (1997), and ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'' (1997). For his performance in ''The Fugitive'', which co-starred [[Tommy Lee Jones]], Ford received some of the best reviews of his career, including from [[Roger Ebert]], who concluded that, "Ford is once again the great modern movie everyman. As an actor, nothing he does seems merely for show, and in the face of this melodramatic material he deliberately plays down, lays low, gets on with business instead of trying to exploit the drama in meaningless acting flourishes."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fugitive-1993|title=The Fugitive Review|website=Roger Ebert|access-date=April 3, 2020|archive-date=April 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406183109/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fugitive-1993|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ford played more straight dramatic roles in ''[[Presumed Innocent (film)|Presumed Innocent]]'' (1990) and ''[[Regarding Henry]]'' (1991), and another romantic lead role in ''[[Sabrina (1995 film)|Sabrina]]'' (1995), a remake of the classic [[Sabrina (1954 film)|1954 film]] of the same name. Ford established working relationships with many well-regarded directors during this time, including Weir, [[Alan J. Pakula]], [[Mike Nichols]], [[Phillip Noyce]], and [[Sydney Pollack]], collaborating twice with each of them. This was the most lucrative period of Ford's career. From 1977 to 1997, he appeared in 14 films that reached the top 15 in the yearly domestic box-office rankings, 12 of which reached the top ten.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/|title=Top Box Office 1977–Present|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=October 19, 2019|archive-date=December 30, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230012726/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/|url-status=live}}</ref> Six of the films he appeared in during this time were nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]], among other awards: ''Star Wars'', ''Apocalypse Now'', ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', ''Witness'', ''Working Girl'', and ''The Fugitive''.