JULY 13

Harrison Ford

Born July 13, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois


Actor
Harrison Ford

Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Harrison Ford studied English at Ripon College in Wisconsin. He served a long apprenticeship in film and television, interspersed with employment as a carpenter, before finding success in George Lucas’ American Graffiti in 1973.

Ford collaborated with Lucas again for his breakthrough role as Han Solo in Star Wars (1977) and its two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Cast as a resourceful, swashbuckling hero, he found great popularity as the archaeologist adventurer Indiana Jones in a series of films beginning with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Ford enhanced his reputation with testing characterizations in 1985’s Witness (for which he received an Oscar nomination), The Mosquito Coast (1986), Presumed Innocent (1990), and The Fugitive (1993). His heroic performances as Jack Ryan for the film adaptations of Tom Clancy’s fictional series secured Ford’s status as one of Hollywood’s favorite leading men, including 1992’s Patriot Games and 1994’s Clear and Present Danger.

Recent films have been less successful at the box office, including 2003’s Hollywood Homicide and 2006’s Firewall.  Ford received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 2000.

Harrison Ford was married to Mary Marquardt from 1964 to 1979; they have two sons. He was married to screenwriter Melissa Mathison from 1983 to 2004; they have two children. Ford has been coupled with actress Calista Flockhart since 2002. He lives in New York City and maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.