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Harrison Ford: Hollywood Legend Born on 13 July 1942
Born 13 July 1942 in Chicago, Harrison Ford became the most bankable action star in Hollywood history — Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard. A 1942 legend.
Chris
7/15/20263 min read
Who Is Harrison Ford?
Harrison Ford was born on 13 July 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history — best known for playing Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise and Indiana Jones in the adventure series of the same name. As of 2024, films featuring Ford have grossed more than $9 billion at the global box office.
Ford did not become a star overnight. He spent much of the 1960s and early 1970s in minor television roles and worked as a carpenter to support his family. It was George Lucas who changed everything: Ford was doing carpentry work at the studio when he was cast in American Graffiti (1973) and then, after an unexpected audition, as Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).
Career Highlights
After Star Wars, Ford became the action hero of his era. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) introduced Indiana Jones — a role he returned to four times, most recently in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), at the age of 80. His range also extends to serious drama: Witness (1985) earned him an Academy Award nomination, and The Mosquito Coast (1986) showed a darker side entirely.
He appeared in The Force Awakens (2015) and the sequel to Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 (2017). In 2023 he joined the cast of the TV series Yellowstone spinoff 1923.
Books About Harrison Ford
Ford is famously private, making good biographies especially valuable for fans who want to understand the man behind the roles.
- Harrison Ford biographies — Amazon UK
- The making of Star Wars — books on Amazon UK
- Indiana Jones novelisations — Amazon UK
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick — Amazon UK — the novel behind Blade Runner
- Raiders of the Lost Ark — the making of the film — Amazon UK
Harrison Ford on Screen and at Home
Away from films, Ford is a licensed pilot who has flown over 5,000 hours. He is an avid conservationist and has a species of ant (Pheidole harrisonfordi) named after him for his environmental work. He married actress Calista Flockhart in 2010.
A 1942 Legend
Harrison Ford shares his birth year with Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Muhammad Ali, Stephen Hawking, and Barbra Streisand — making 1942 one of the most extraordinary years for births in the twentieth century. Browse more personalities born in 1942, or find the complete Harrison Ford collection on Amazon UK.