80s People: Harrison Ford

80s People

When you think about 80s people who defined the decade, Harrison Ford doesn’t immediately come to mind. In fact, plenty of other 80s actors were far more willing to hog the spotlight. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford preferred to lie low, maintaining his privacy, even though his characters soaked up the limelight.

80s Actors Didn’t Always Outlive the Decade

In the 80s, many celebrities hit the big time only to see their careers deflate once the 80s came to an end. Maybe it was all those 80s fads and the way stars clung to them. Harrison Ford wasn’t having any of it. He projected a classy, timeless demeanor and avoided becoming another trend.

Maybe that’s why his booming career exploded in the nineties, which was when Harrison truly established himself as an A-list celebrity rather than a character actor. Unlike other 80s actors, Harrison Ford managed to sustain a career that as of 2009, has already spanned over four decades.

His acting career lasted beyond those of other 80s people, but it also started long before most other 80s actors. His earliest roles were in the mid-sixties, so by the time he joined the ranks of 80s actors, he’d already put in his due diligence.

Harrison took on roles that transcended the decade. Both of his biggest screen personas did not belong to the 80s though they became staples of 80s movies. Han Solo was from “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,” and Indiana Jones was living in the early 20th century. The characters were timeless, Harrison Ford was timeless and so were the 80s movies that he starred in.

A Decade of Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford put out ten 80s movies over the course of the decade. That’s just about one film per year. He was best-known and most-loved for his roles as Han Solo from the Star Wars films and also for his portrayal of Indiana Jones from the Indiana Jones series, which returned to screens in recent years after a 20-year hiatus.

Han Solo and Star Wars

The first film hit theaters in 1977 and was a blockbuster, a smashing success like no other. Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope captivated audiences, who were all too pleased when the story picked up right where it left off. The two sequels that made Ford one of the most popular 80s people were The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)

Indiana Jones

Though Han Solo is one of the most famous film characters of all time, it was Harrison Ford’s role as Indiana Jones that left no doubt that Ford was a leading man. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a box office hit, and in the film, Harrison Ford stole the screen, captured imaginations, and made the ladies swoon. Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade was just as popular, though by the third film in the series, , the novelty seemed to have worn off.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

By the end of the 80s, the Indiana Jones trilogy was completed, and it wasn’t until 20 years later that audiences once again got a taste of the Indie adventure. In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), a handsomely aged Indiana Jones reminded us why we fell in love with him (and Harrison Ford) in the first place.

Other Notable Film Titles from Harrison Ford

As an 80s actor, Harrison Ford spawned the decade playing staple 80s characters Han Solo and Indiana Jones. But Ford kept himself busy with other film projects as well:

Blade Runner (1982)

Witness (1985)

The Mosquito Coast (1986)

Frantic (1988)

Working Girl (1988)

Decade after decade, Harrison Ford delivers the goods that makes him top-notch, not just among 80s actors, but among all actors. Though both Harrison and his films are timeless, his 80s movies must be remembered as the films that won our hearts. That’s why Harrison Ford is one of our favorite 80s people.

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