Almost 42 years after Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark was first released in theaters, Harrison Ford will return with his signature brown fedora and bullwhip to bring the character to life for a fifth and final time. Ahead of Indiana Jones 5's release, Ford embarked on a press tour, revealing some insights into his personal life at the beginning of his career.
Before Ford was the household name he is now, he played minor roles in the 1970s films American Graffiti and The Conversation. But it wasn't until his emblematic role as Han Solo in Star Wars that he further reached success and became part of the American lexicon. In 1981, he became the archeology professor Indiana Jones, which helped him further solidify his status in Hollywood and become the seventh highest-grossing actor in North America, grossing more than $9 billion worldwide. Though it is now difficult to picture American pop culture without the actor, the rebel fighter, or the professor, Ford reveals recently revealed this level of fame was not always his plan.
In a recent interview with People Magazine, Ford admitted that he initially did not picture himself as a leading man. He goes on to explain that fame was never a goal for him, and instead, he hoped to simply be able to make a living as an actor and not have to engage in any other side hustle. He goes on to say that he used to believe he would be lucky if he just got a small character in a TV show, but in his plans, there was never the option to become the face of two of the biggest franchises in cinema history. "No one ever believes this," Ford said.
The Indiana Jones actor, who is now in his 80s, also admits that age has crept its way into him, and though his body is no longer the same it used to be, he loves making movies more than ever before. While he enjoyed his youth, he says he enjoys his age and does not wish to go back in time. "There are wonderful things about age— richness of experience, the full weight of time of all the time you've been spending getting to being old— and there's a certain ease in it for me," Ford confessed.
Ford is currently recuperating from tearing a shoulder muscle on the second day of shooting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. But even then, the actor has no intention of slowing down. He recently wrapped filming Captain America: Brave New World and also recently appeared in the Yellowstone prequel 1923 and the AppleTV series Shrinking. In addition to that, Ford was awarded a Palme d'Or for lifetime achievement at this year's Cannes Film Festival. But above all, he thanks his fans for their constant support. "I am very gratified that I still have the opportunities that I have to work, and I owe that to the audience," he said.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will release in theaters on June 30, 2023.
Source: People Magazine