By Molly Moss

Published: Wednesday, 13 July 2022 at 12:00 am


Harrison Ford – who, believe it or not, turns 80 this week – has enjoyed an unparalleled Hollywood career, spanning seven decades.

But it almost didn’t happen. While initially only managing to bag very minor roles in Ironside (1967), The Mod Squad (1968), Gunsmoke (1972) and Kung-Fu (1974), Ford’s career threatened to run out of steam before it had even begun.

In the early ’70s, however, he bagged a small role on American Graffiti under director George Lucas, who then cast Ford as Han Solo in his next project, Star Wars.

The role transformed Ford into a movie star idol for a whole generation.

Following Star Wars’ huge success, Ford appeared in four more Star Wars movies and starred as explorer Indiana Jones in all four of the franchise’s films (with a fifth on the way).

Barely anything is known about the plot of Indiana Jones 5, but we do know that it will “conclude this iconic character’s journey”, according to Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy (via IGN).

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Harrison Ford as Han Solo in star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Getty)

In 1982, he appeared as Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, before reprising the part for Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 sequel.

Although he’s known primarily as an action star, Ford has had a long and varied career.

Away from the franchise world, he was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for his lead role in Witness, the 1985 Peter Weir thriller.

He then starred in the rom-com Working Girl alongside Signourney Weaver three years later.

As a result, narrowing down the best Harrison Ford films is no easy task.

But don’t worry: in honour of Ford’s birthday, RadioTimes.com recalls some of his best movies.

10 best Harrison Ford movies