Early life
He was born at the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago,
Illinois, on July 13, 1942, and had parents who used to be radio actress
Dorothy and advertising executive, along with his former actor father, John
William "Christopher" Ford.
He had a younger brother who was Terence born 1945. Ford's
father was a Catholic of Irish descent, while his mother was an Ashkenazi Jew
whose parents were emigrants from Minsk, Belarus, then part of the Russian
Empire. When asked concerning what religion Ford and his brother had been
raised, he responded humorously, calling it "democrat," but more
seriously said that they were raised to be "liberals of every
stripe." When asked how their ancestry might have influenced them, his
response was "As a man, I have always felt Irish; as an actor, I have
always felt Jewish".
Ford achieved Life Scout as a boy scout. He was a counselor
of the Reptile Study merit badge at Napowan Adventure Base Scout Camp. Because
of this fact, he and director Steven Spielberg later decided to represent young
Indiana Jones as a Life Scout in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
Ford was a graduate of Maine East high school in Park Ridge, Illinois, in the
year 1960. His voice broadcasted the first student voice on the new high
school's establishment radio station, WMTH, and he was the first sportscaster
during his senior year. He attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, a
philosophy major and member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. Self-branded a
"late bloomer", he took drama as the last quarter of his senior year
ended to overcome his shyness and developed a fascination for acting. Ford was
expelled from the college four days before graduation for plagiarism.
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American
actor. He has a place among those considered a cinematic cultural icon; his
major movies spanned seven decades and earned him a place among the
highest-grossing actors in the world. Ford has been nominated for an AcademyAward, a British Academy Film Award, an Emmy Award, two Screen Actor Guild
honors, and an impressive five Golden Globe Awards, and owns the AFI LifeAchievement Award, Cecil B. DeMille Award, as well as the honor of an honorary
César, honorary Palme d'or, and the proud recognition of being named a Disney
Legend in 2024.
After making his screen debut in 1966 and appearing in
supporting roles in the films American Graffiti (1973) and The Conversation
(1974), Ford became a pole star in the entire world on account of the character
Han Solo, which he played in the space opera film Star Wars (1977). This role
he brought back in five other films for the eponymous franchise that spanned
the next four decades. Other roles that caught attention included Indiana Jones
in the Indiana Jones franchise (1981-2023); Rick Deckard in the Blade Runner
franchise (1982-2017); and Jack Ryan in the action thriller films titled
Patriot Games (1992); and Clear and Present Danger (1994). Such performances
made him the hero of action and one of Hollywood's most cash-generating stars
from late 1970s to early 2000s.
He earned his only nomination for the Academy Award under
the category of Best Actor due to his role in the thriller film Witness (1985).
Besides that, his credits include The Mosquito Coast (1986), Working Girl
(1988), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Sabrina (1995), The
Devil's Own (1997), Air Force One (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), What
Lies Beneath (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Cowboys & Aliens (2011),
42 (2013), The Age of Adaline (2015), The Call of the Wild (2020), and Captain
America: Brave New World (2025). Ford has also starred in the Paramount+
western series 1923 (2022-2025) and the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking
(since 2023).
Ford is a licensed pilot and also very active outside
acting. He has often been involved in rescue missions around his home in
Wyoming for emergency cases. He chaired an aviation education program for youth
from 2004 to 2009. Ford is an environmental activist as he served as the first
vice chair of Conservation International from 1991 onward.
Star Wars
Lucas could hire Harrison to read with other actors as part
of the casting process, but after hearing him, he chose to cast him in the part
of Han Solo. American Graffiti earned $500 per week; Harrison earned $10,000
for Star Wars, equal to about $42,000 when adjusted for inflation.
Star Wars Salary
Harrison was paid $100,000 for the sequel he appeared in,
The Empire Strikes Back, and received $500,000 from The Return of the Jedi in
1983. The two salaries together would now be around $1.6 million when adjusted
for inflation.
A few decades into the future, and Harrison earns a minimum
of $15 million for reprising his role as Han Solo in 2015's The Force Awakens.
He also had a small percentage of the box office gross, adding the total he
made from the film to $25 million. From Han Solo, Ford is also similarly much
loved as Indiana Jones. His premiere as Indiana Jones was in 1981 with Raiders
of the Lost Ark. Part 2 Temple of Doom followed it in 1984. The Last Crusade,
the final installment, surfaced in 1989. Not much is revealed about Harrison's
earnings for his first three Indiana Jones films, but he was believed to be
paid a huge salary to reprise the role in the 2008 Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He had only made four films in the eight years
leading up to that point, preferring more of a semiretirement at that time. He
made a return for 2023's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Payday
To pull Harrison out of retirement, studio Paramount
Pictures was apparently ready to pay him a very lucrative split of profits,
which came after the studio recouped production and advertising costs. The
profits were almost evenly split between the studio, Harrison, and executive
producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
At the end of the day, Harrison, George, and Steven all each
cleared $65 million from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. At writing, this is the
12th largest acting paycheck in history.
Other Major Pays
In the 1990s, Harrison was earning between $10 million and
$12 million a picture. For example, he got $9 million for Patriot Games in
1992, and $10 million for the 1994 sequel, Clear and Present Danger. In 1997,
he was paid $20 million for The Devil's Own. He got another $20 million for Air
Force One, Six Days Seven Nights, Random Hearts, and What Lies Beneath.
Harrison was paid $25 million plus 20% of the gross for K-19 The Widowmaker in
2002. It's reputed that Ford received $25 million for Indiana Jones and the
Dial of Destiny after he took a $40 million cut just to play this role one last
time.
Real Estate
In 1983, Harrison purchased a large house in LA's Brentwood
neighborhood for $1 million. He sold the gated estate of 3/4 acres in 2012 for
$8.2 million. In 2011, for $12.6 million, Harrison and Calista bought another
Brentwood home, which has long served as their main residence in LA. Contrary
to public belief, records show he still owns at least three other homes in the
LA area, these lesser values being either investments or occupied by family
members.
In 2001, he paid $5.3 million for a penthouse in the
Flatiron District of NYC. In 2010 he listed that property for sale for $16
million, but the listing was later withdrawn. The penthouse is 5,500 sq. ft.
and has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. The penthouse has an elevator to 11
rooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, security system, gym, office, and library.
The flooring is anigre wood and poured concrete and are heated. One of the best
features is the 2,300 sq. ft. private terrace on the top floor, outfitted with
a wet bar and views overlooking Manhattan and the Hudson River.
In Wyoming, Ford owns an 800-acre ranch along the Snake
River near the town of Jackson. He has donated half of that property as a
nature preserve.
Private Planes
Harrison is something of an infamous aviation buff and
pilot. We use the word "notorious" since he has had a few incidents
here and there, including a crash onto an LA golf course and one instance of
dangerously landing on an Orange County runway that was being used for takeoff.
Harrison owns as many as ten planes and a helicopter. The crown jewel of the
fleet is a 2009 Cessna 680 that sold new for $18 million. Harrison prudently
keeps his collection of airplanes and helicopters at Santa Monica airport, which
is sparse time from his Brentwood residence. He could Uber to the airport, hop
on his plane, and be in Wyoming in fewer than 20 minutes. And he has reportedly
made this trip with great regularity!
While in Wyoming, he leases out the helicopter for fire and
other emergency rescues. Back in 2000, Harrison was called out to rescue a
stranded hiker who had collapsed from dehydration. Wearing a t-shirt and cowboy
hat, the hiker and a companion did not learn until later that their rescue
pilot was the A-lister.
| Screen Name | Harrison Ford |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Harrison Ford |
| Date of Birth | July 13, 1942 |
| Age | 83 years (as of September 22, 2025) |
| Birth Place | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Mother | Dorothy Nidelman |
| Father | Christopher Ford (born John William Ford) |
| Sibling | Terence Ford |
| Children | Liam Flockhart, Ben Ford, Georgia Ford, Malcolm Ford, Willard Ford |
| Weight | Approx. 86 kg (190 lbs) |
| Eyes Colour | Hazel |
| Hair Colour | Grey (formerly brown) |
| Spouse |
Harrison Ford was previously married to Melissa Mathison (1983 – 2004) and Mary Marquardt (1964 – 1979). Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart have been married for 15 years since June 15, 2010. |
| Girlfriends | Harrison Ford was previously married to Melissa Mathison (1983 – 2004) and Mary Marquardt (1964 – 1979). |
| Net Worth | $300 Million |
| Country | USA |
| Profession | Actor, Producer |
| Nationality | USA |
| Social Media |
Instagram:
@realharrisonford 12.5M followers Facebook Page: Harrison Ford Official 8.2M followers Twitter (X): @HarrisonFord 7.8M followers |
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