Credit: DisneyHarrison Ford is an iconic actor, known for dozens of roles over the course of his career.
At 80 years old, the star just released another Indiana Jones movie, a franchise that started back in 1981, proving to fans that he’s still got it. While the actor has spoken out on his time with Indy, saying blank, he’s been less kind when talking about his other career-defining role.
Ford’s other best-known role is the suave, swashbuckling, gunslinging smuggler Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise. He recently revisited the role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016) before being killed off in a heart-wrenching plot twist. Although the role of Han Solo helped make Ford a household name that has spanned generations, he’s long hated the connection and focus on his Star Wars character.
Ford famously hates the assumption that Star Wars is his best work, considering his decades of other acting achievements. He’s also just joined the entertainment juggernaut that is Marvel Studios with his upcoming role Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross in Captain America: Brave New World (2024), assuring fans that he has no plans of retiring just yet.
However, in a recent interview, the actor was asked about his work within the iconic Star Wars franchise, surprising fans by speaking pretty highly of it. He mentioned that although he had no idea just how big Star Wars would be when signing on to it, he did think they would be successful. “I was grateful because it changed my life,” the actor admitted. “I had opportunities that extended beyond director George Lucas’ and my success in making that film. It gave me freedom and opportunities that I never had imagined I might have.”
From Ford, that’s some pretty high praise. And his opinion of Indiana Jones is pretty similar, saying that both franchises have been fun to watch “because they’re beautifully written. They’re so artfully contrived and populated with such fantastic actors.” While Ford had a couple of minor roles to his name before being cast in Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977, there’s no doubt that it helped him shoot to the top of Hollywood’s best, although he’s more than proved himself since.
What do you think about the strong praise Harrison Ford has for his famously disliked role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!