Movie Star of the Week : Harrison Ford from carpenter to movie star !.
One of the first movies I went to see by myself in the cinema was Raiders of the Lost Ark, I was twelve years old at the time (1981), and I couldn't go in to see it because of the censorship; it was for people over thirteen years old.
The movie was shown in a movie theater that was very iconic here in the city of Caracas: Broadway. There, the movies were shown continuously, so you could see them up to three times a day if you wanted to.
With great difficulty, platform shoes (to make me look taller), and three jackets on (to make me look fatter), I managed to get in after the sympathy I aroused in the ticket agent, the usher and the candy vendor, who noticed that I really wanted to see that movie and therefore my costume.
After watching the previews of other movies, the action begins, and to this day I swear I have yet to see an opening scene as spectacular as this one, with a unique jungle setting, which creates suspense with an excellent background soundtrack, and is a preamble to the spectacular adventure that would follow.
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In this scene, the first thing that caught my attention was that adventurer who in the first ten minutes was already facing mortal dangers, highlighting that Fedora hat model inspired by the 40's and 50's. His name was Indiana Jones, played by actor Harrison Ford.
But, that actor I had already seen him before on one side, on television, if in a movie of American teenagers in the 50's: American Grafitti (directed by George Lucas in 1973).
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In it he plays, (in a supporting role) a young street racer who challenges John Milner (Paul Le Mat) to a race.
And how can I forget Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (directed by George Lucas in 1977), where he was a renegade and cocky bounty hunter who helped the Rebel Alliance fight against the Empire and stole the heart of Princess Leia.
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The two sequels to the adventures of Indiana Jones also directed by Steven Spielberg: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) made Ford one of the most successful actors on the planet.
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This position was strengthened by starring in films such as Witness (1985), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Air Force One (1997) and the two installments of Agent Jack Ryan (1992 and 1994).
Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter, and thanks to his skills and sympathy he was able to get different assignments and among his clients. He went from recommendation to recommendation. He had several famous clients among them Sergio Mendes, the Brazilian musician famous for his success with bossa nova in English. He helped in the construction of his recording studio.
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He was married, had two children and to pay the bills he tried to dabble as an actor and cover his family's needs. He got a contract with Universal for $150 a week and had to be available for small, non-relevant parts.
In the meantime he kept his job as a carpenter, and appeared in a film entitled A Time For Killing, a western starring Glenn Ford, he also appeared in Antonioni's Zabriskie Point and in several TV series.
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Later he was noticed in American Graffiti, the George Lucas film that reflects the nostalgia for the fifties. He worked under Francis Ford Coppola on The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. George Lucas asked him to help him with the auditions for Star Wars, Ford passed letters with the applicants for the main roles of the film and Lucas saw him do this work and decided to hire him for the role of Han Solo.
When the time came to choose Indiana Jones, Steven Spielberg wanted him to star in his film but his producer George Lucas refused, choosing Tom Selleck, who declined the offer in favor of the television series Magnum.
Another important role in his career was that of the memorable Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) in its sequel Blade Runner 2049. (2017) by Denis Villeneuve. The first of these films is a true cult gem adored by fans of the sci-fi genre.
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He was one of the first actors to earn $20 million for a film, he himself chose his projects and negotiated his salary. But in the late 1990s he hired a representation agency.
He has never received an Oscar award, and perhaps this award has gotten out of hand when he refused the films Schindler's List and Syriana, whose Oscars went to Liam Neeson and George Cloney. He also refused to participate in Big, Jurassic Park, The Untouchables and Ghost. His only Oscar nomination was for the 1985 film Witness (directed by Peter Weird), where he plays an inspector who must protect an Amish boy who witnesses a murder.
Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppolla, Robert Zemeckis, Roman Polanski, Ivan Reitman, Peter Weir, Ridley Scott, Kathryn Bigelow, J.J. Abrams and Mike Nichols among others have had the pleasure of directing him.
According to the news, Indiana Jones 5 will be released on June 30, 2023, the film will supposedly have a twilight air, where the archaeologist will pass the baton to a new generation of adventurers.
Something of his personal life.
Mary Marquardt was the actor's first wife before he was known. They were married on June 18, 1964. They divorced in 1979, but Mary was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Ford in addition to buying her a house has supported her financially during all this time.
It is said that during the filming of the first Star Wars trilogy he was romantically involved with its protagonist Carrie Fisher.
In 1983, he married screenwriter Melissa Mathison, ending their union in 2004. They had two children, and their divorce led to financial disagreements when it came to dividing the assets and claiming compensation, to the point that Ford was almost bankrupt. Mathison claimed that she interrupted her career to support her husband, being compensated with 85 million dollars.
At the 2002 Golden Globe Awards he met Calista Flockhart, the actress of the series Ally McBeal. They married in 2010.
One of his passions is aviation, in 2001 piloting his helicopter the actor located and rescued a 13-year-old boy who was lost in Wyoming, additionally, he has participated in several actions to extinguish forest fires. In 2014 . he broke his hip and an arm in an accident where his landing was forced. In 2020 he had another accident was investigated for the incident and his air registration was in jeopardy.
Harrison Ford, along with Tom Hanks reminds us of the great actors of the golden age of Hollywood and as for the key to his success he has always said, "I was very, very lucky. Extraordinarily lucky. A lot of people are smarter, prettier or more talented. But they weren't as lucky as I was".
Going back to the Broadway theater I must say that I stayed to see the movie twice and today in the year 2022 I can't get enough of watching on Blu Ray all four Indiana Jones movies, well Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skulls is regular.
Harrison Ford turned 80 on July 13, 2022 and his co-stars of Indiana Jones 5, say his physical appearance his health, and his charisma are enviable and intact.
Hoping that this publication is to the liking of my dear CineTv comedy I say goodbye, this being my entry to participate in the initiative "Movie Star of the Week" Link Here.
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The gif was elaborated by me, here are the sources: