Harrison Ford's 7 Greatest Roles
Legendary actor Harrison Ford Turns 72 today, and in his impressive career he has been responsible for developing two of the most iconic movie characters in American pop culture.
To celebrate the man who created so many characters we all desperate wished we could be growing up – and honestly still kind of wish we could be – we take a celebratory look at Harrison's seven greatest roles.
#7. Dr. Richard Kimble – The Fugitive
Ford plays a man wrongly convicted of his wife's murder who – due to random circumstance – escapes from custody in a frantic effort to find the real killer and clear his name. All the while, he's hunted down by US Marshall Tommy Lee Jones, which would be terrifying for anyone.
Best Quote: "When I came home, there was a man in my house. I fought with this man. He had a mechanical arm. You find this man. You find this man."
#6. Bob Falfa – American Graffiti
One of the first real roles for Ford, Star Wars helmer George Lucas directed this 1973 throw-back to the early-60s cruising culture that saw high school kids and college students – along with cocky, arrogant gear heads – driving around down in their supped-up cars looking to meet girls and drag race. Ford plays Bob Falfa, one of those arrogant gear heads, and he's simply awesome to watch.
Best Quote: "Hey you're supposed to be the fastest thing in the Valley man, but that can't be your car. It must be your mama's car! I'm sorta embarrassed to be this close to ya!"
#5. President James Marshall – Air Force One
In this action thriller, Ford plays a US President who is on Air Force One when it gets taken over by Gary Oldman as a Russian terrorist. Ford must fight his way through a whole group of mercenaries in order to save himself, his staff, his family.
Best Quote: "Get off my plane!"
#4. Jack Ryan – Patriot Games and Clear And Present Danger
Harrison Ford takes up the mantle of Jack Ryan, a character created by Tom Clancy and played in other films by Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine and even Ben Affleck, but no one nailed it like Harrison Ford. In both films, be plays a CIA agent and analyst who has to foil various terrorist plots.
Best Quote: "I'm sorry, Mr. President, I don't dance." (It's much cooler in context. Watch Clear And Present Danger.)
#3. Indiana Jones – Indiana Jones Franchise
He's the coolest guy in the room, all the time. He's a dashing Archeology professor that his students (awkwardly) love, while at the same time he's a daring adventurer exploring new worlds. Who cares if he's a cold-blooded murderer and thief who accidentally helped the Nazis find the arc? He's awesome, damn it, and that's all our child-brains could understand when we first saw and fell in love with his character.
Best Quote: "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"
#2. Han Solo – Star Wars Episodes IV-VI
Don't pretend like you need to be told who Han Solo is. Don't even play that game. You know you've always wanted to be a space smuggler and intergalactic gunslinger. You know you've thought, more than once, about buying a black vest and wide-colored white shirt.
Best Quote: "I know." (When Leia says she's loves him. The line was improvised, too.)
#1. Rick Deckard – Blade Runner
While not quite as famous as Han Solo or Indiana Jones, Ford's character in the bleak 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner is easily his best, and his best performance as well. He plays a cop whose job is to hunt down and kill 'replicatants', or robots that look identical to humans. It's an examination of what makes up human and leaves you with a chilled, haunted feeling. Ford has to use a lot of energy just to be subtle and he should have won an Oscar for the role, or at least been nominated.
Best Quote: "Replicants are like any other machine, they're either a benefit or a hazard. If they're a benefit it's not my problem."
