106-453: The Jerk is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin , Carl Gottlieb , and Michael Elias (from a story by Martin and Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also features Bernadette Peters , M. Emmet Walsh , Catlin Adams , Maurice Evans , and Jackie Mason . Critical reviews were mostly positive, and The Jerk
212-591: A Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer , but at $ 15 an hour (equivalent to $ 151 in 2023), he could not afford to continue the training. In the mid-1990s, he bought a used Gulfstream II and asked one of his pilots, Terry Bender, to give him flying lessons. They started flying a Cessna 182 out of Jackson, Wyoming, later switching to Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey , flying a Cessna 206 , the aircraft in which he made his first solo flight . Ford's aircraft are kept at Santa Monica Airport . The Bell 407 helicopter
318-402: A champagne-style song on the radio. Seeing this moment as a calling, he excitedly decides to leave home and travel to St. Louis , where the broadcast originated. Along the way, he adopts a dog and names it "Shithead" after angering the guests at a motel by waking them up in the middle of the night, having misinterpreted the dog's barking at his door as a warning of a fire. Navin finds a job as
424-708: A gastropub located at Terminal 5 in Los Angeles International Airport . The younger son is owner of the Ludwig Clothing company and previously owned Strong Sports Gym and the Kim Sing Theater. Ford's second marriage was to screenwriter Melissa Mathison from March 1983 until their separation in 2000; they divorced in 2004. They had a son, born in 1987, and a daughter, born in 1990. Mathison died in 2015. Ford began dating actress Calista Flockhart after they met at
530-458: A television film sequel , The Jerk, Too (1984), starring Mark Blankfield as Navin and co-starring Stacey Nelkin . Steve Martin was executive producer, but did not write the screenplay. Comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor . These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending , with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy
636-415: A 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter , Steve Martin was asked if the film would be accepted in this day and age with all of the "heightened racial sensitivity." His response was that he had not watched the movie himself in a very long time, but when he reflects on his experience with making the movie he recalls everyone being treated "with such respect" throughout the filming process. The Jerk had
742-557: A 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter , it was revealed that he accepted the roles in both 1923 and Shrinking despite there not being a script at the time. Ford reprised the role of Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), which he stated was his last appearance as the character. The film received generally positive reviews, with many critics highlighting Ford's performance. In October 2022, Ford
848-604: A Golden Globe for his work. Before that, Ford had passed on a role in another Stephen Gaghan -written film, that of Robert Wakefield in Traffic , which went to Michael Douglas . In 2008, Ford enjoyed success with the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , the first Indiana Jones film in 19 years and another collaboration with Lucas and Spielberg. The film received generally positive reviews and
954-462: A bottom," but Lucas refused. Ford's status as a leading actor was solidified with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), an action-adventure collaboration between Lucas and Steven Spielberg that gave Ford his second franchise role as the heroic, globe-trotting archaeologist Indiana Jones . Like Star Wars , the film was massively successful; it became the highest-grossing film of the year. Spielberg
1060-560: A broken pelvis and broken ankle during the accident, as well as other injuries. On February 13, 2017, Ford landed an Aviat Husky at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California , on the taxiway left of runway 20L. A Boeing 737 was holding short of the runway on the taxiway when Ford overflew them. On April 24, 2020, at the Los Angeles Hawthorne Airport while piloting his Husky, Ford crossed
1166-550: A disc in his back. The 40-year-old actor was forced to fly back to Los Angeles for surgery and returned six weeks later. Following his leading-man success as Indiana Jones, Ford played Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott 's dystopian science-fiction film Blade Runner (1982). Compared to his experiences on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films, Ford had a difficult time with the production. He recalled to Vanity Fair , "It
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#17327974014831272-494: A distribution deal for the film, which would leave Martin in creative control of the project. Martin was able to pick which director he wanted to work with. Martin initially chose Mike Nichols , but Nichols then "bowed out" of the project in 1978. Martin's next choice was Carl Reiner , famous for his work on The Dick Van Dyke Show . The duo met constantly, and the film's title grew out of their conversations. Martin recounts in his memoir: It needs to be something short, yet have
1378-658: A dog named Rooster in The Secret Life of Pets 2 . With filming of a fifth Indiana Jones film delayed by a year, Ford headlined a big-budget adaptation of Jack London 's The Call of the Wild , playing prospector John Thornton. The film was released in February 2020 to a mixed critical reception and its theatrical release was shortened due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry . In 2022, Ford
1484-443: A film and made critical statements against Trump's presidential bid . For his first time ever endorsing a political candidate for office, Ford endorsed Joe Biden 's 2020 presidential campaign against Trump. He said that he wanted to "encourage people to support candidates that will support the environment" and felt that under Trump, the U.S. had "lost some of our credibility in the world". Along with Mark Hamill , Ford worked with
1590-452: A film's atmosphere, character, and story, and therefore, the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, his taxonomy argues that comedy is a type of film that contains at least a dozen different sub-types. A number of hybrid genres have emerged, such as action comedy and romantic comedy . The first comedy film was L'Arroseur Arrosé (1895), directed and produced by film pioneer Louis Lumière . Less than
1696-400: A gas station attendant, where he attempts to detain some thieves but accidentally destroys a nearby church. Later, a madman chooses his name at random from the telephone book and decides to kill him. As the gunman waits for an opportunity, Navin solders a brace to a customer's eyeglasses to stop them from slipping down his nose. The customer, Stan Fox, is an inventor who promises to try to market
1802-448: A line from his act — "It wasn't always easy for me; I was born a poor black child" — he fleshed out his ideas into a series of notes he intended to deliver to studios. With confidence in his budding standup career, he imagined it would not be difficult to break into Hollywood. Instead, he found it more difficult than expected. Bill McEuen was acquainted with Paramount Pictures president David Picker , and convinced Picker to sign Martin for
1908-483: A mainstream audience. The success of the American television show Saturday Night Live drove decades of cinema with racier content allowed on television drawing on the program's stars and characters, with bigger successes including Wayne's World , Mean Girls , Ghostbusters and Animal House . Parody and joke-based films continue to find audiences. While comedic films are among the most popular with audiences at
2014-506: A meeting. Stan has been able to market Navin's device, now branded as the Opti-Grab, and gives him a check for $ 250,000 as the first installment on his share of the profits. Navin finds and marries Marie, and the two adopt a life of extravagant spending as his wealth continues to grow. Soon, though, Navin is named as defendant in a class action lawsuit brought by millions of Opti-Grab users who have become permanently cross-eyed after using
2120-509: A minute long, it shows a boy playing a prank on a gardener. The most notable comedy actors of the silent film era (1895–1927) were Charlie Chaplin , Harold Lloyd , and Buster Keaton , though they were able to make the transition into “ talkies ” after the 1920s. Film-makers in the 1960s skillfully employed the use of comedy film to make social statements by building their narratives around sensitive cultural, political or social issues. Such films include Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love
2226-716: A nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a detective who envelops himself in the Amish community in the thriller Witness (1985). His other films include The Mosquito Coast (1986), Working Girl (1988), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Sabrina (1995), The Devil's Own (1997), Air Force One (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), What Lies Beneath (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Morning Glory (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), 42 (2013), and The Age of Adaline (2015). Ford has since starred in
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#17327974014832332-409: A real genius for playing dumb ... Even when it's crude—which is quite a lot of the time—it's not mean-spirited ... Mr. Martin and his co-star, Bernadette Peters, work very sweetly together, even when they sing a duet of ' Tonight You Belong to Me ,' carrying sweetness to what could easily have become an intolerable extreme." BBC film review rated the movie two out of five stars and described
2438-517: A reference to Godzilla . Another scene that was cut featured Gailard Sartain as a Texas oil millionaire who tearfully begs Navin for money to replace the cracked, dried-out leather seats on his private jet. Navin grants his request and he gratefully states: "Now I can fly my friends to the Super Bowl like a MAN, and not some damned BUM!" The television version features a scene in which a forlorn Navin, trying to forget Marie, spends six hours on
2544-706: A relatively low budget of $ 4 million. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 82% based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Crude, crass, and oh so quotable, The Jerk is nothing short of an all-out comedic showcase for Steve Martin." On Metacritic , the film received a score of 61 based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that The Jerk "is by turns funny, vulgar and backhandedly clever, never more so than when it aspires to absolute stupidity. And Mr. Martin, who began his career with an arrow stuck through his head, has since developed
2650-404: A romantic night on a beach soon after and live together for about a month. Navin plans to ask Marie to marry him, but before he can, she leaves him because he cannot provide financial security. Devastated, Navin takes Shithead and travels to Los Angeles. There, the gunman who tried to kill him—now sane and working as a private investigator —tracks him down and gives him a letter from Stan requesting
2756-541: A runway where another aircraft was landing. According to the FAA, the two planes were about 3,600 feet from each other and there was no danger of a crash. A representative of Ford later said that he "misheard" an instruction given to him by air traffic control. Ford is vice-chair of Conservation International , an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia . The organization's intent
2862-528: A separate genre, but rather, provides a better understanding of the film. Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon , he has been a leading man in films of several genres and starred in many major box-office successes, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. His films have grossed more than $ 5.4 billion in North America and more than $ 9.3 billion worldwide. Ford
2968-463: A small role as Irving. In addition there are uncredited appearances by Reiner's son Rob Reiner as the truck driver who picks up Navin, Harrison Ford who interacts with Martin briefly as a circus construction worker, and character actor Larry Hankin briefly appears as a circus hand. By 1977, comedian Steve Martin was experiencing wild success. He wanted to cross over to a film career, believing it promised more longevity. Basing his film proposal on
3074-548: A three-month affair in 1976 during the filming of Star Wars . Ford is a licensed pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. On several occasions, he has personally provided emergency helicopter services at the request of local authorities in Wyoming , in one instance rescuing a hiker overcome by dehydration. Ford began flight training in the 1960s at Wild Rose Idlewild Airport in Wild Rose, Wisconsin , flying in
3180-600: A three-year contract at the studio after showing him one of his routines at the Boarding House comedy club in San Francisco. Martin passed along his notes, which the studio read carefully. It described a series of odd jobs lead character "Steve" would hold in his saga. Martin developed this concept into the first draft of The Jerk , but Paramount passed on the project after Picker left the studio. However, Picker convinced his new employer Universal Studios to sign
3286-759: Is No. 20 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies and No. 89 on the American Film Institute list AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs . IGN ranked the film as the tenth top comedy film of all time. Premiere voted Steve Martin's performance of Navin Johnson No. 99 on their list, "The 100 Greatest Performances of All Time". A BBC poll of more than 250 critics rated the film as the 99th greatest comedy of all time. Christiane Kubrick hailed it as one of Stanley Kubrick 's favorite films of all time. It led to Kubrick meeting with Martin to discuss working together on his film Eyes Wide Shut . In
The Jerk - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-712: Is often kept and flown in Jackson and has been used by Ford in two mountain rescues during his assigned duty time with Teton County Search and Rescue. During one of the rescues, Ford recovered a hiker who had become lost and disoriented. She boarded his helicopter and promptly vomited into one of the rescuers' caps, unaware of who the pilot was until much later; "I can't believe I barfed in Harrison Ford's helicopter!" she said later. Ford flies his de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver (N28S) more than any of his other aircraft, and has repeatedly said that he likes this aircraft and
3498-480: Is one of the oldest genres in film, and it is derived from classical comedy in theatre . Some of the earliest silent films were slapstick comedies , which often relied on visual depictions, such as sight gags and pratfalls, so they could be enjoyed without requiring sound. To provide drama and excitement to silent movies, live music was played in sync with the action on the screen, on pianos, organs, and other instruments. When sound films became more prevalent during
3604-530: Is the recipient of various accolades , including the AFI Life Achievement Award , the Cecil B. DeMille Award , an Honorary César , and an Honorary Palme d'Or , in addition to an Academy Award nomination. Ford made his screen acting debut in an uncredited appearance in the film Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) and went on to play bit parts in both films and television throughout
3710-426: Is to protect nature . Since 1992, Ford has lent his voice to a series of public service messages promoting environmental involvement for EarthShare, an American federation of environmental and conservation charities. He has acted as a spokesperson for Restore Hetch Hetchy , a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring Yosemite National Park 's Hetch Hetchy Valley to its original condition. Ford also appears in
3816-534: The 2002 Golden Globe Awards . He proposed to Flockhart over Valentine's Day weekend in 2009. They married on June 15, 2010, in Santa Fe, New Mexico , where Ford was filming Cowboys & Aliens . They are the parents of a son, born in 2001, whom Flockhart had adopted before meeting Ford. Ford and Flockhart live on an 800-acre (320-hectare; 3.2-square-kilometre) ranch in Jackson, Wyoming , where he has lived since
3922-537: The Dalai Lama , Dalai Lama Renaissance . Ford filmed the medical drama Extraordinary Measures in 2009 in Portland, Oregon . Released on January 22, 2010, the film also starred Brendan Fraser and Alan Ruck . Also in 2010, he co-starred in the film Morning Glory , along with Rachel McAdams , Diane Keaton and Patrick Wilson . Although the film was a disappointment at the box office, Ford's performance
4028-589: The Paramount+ western series 1923 (2022–present) and the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking (2023–present). Outside of acting, Ford is a licensed pilot; he has often assisted the emergency services in rescue missions near his home in Wyoming , and he chaired an aviation education program for youth from 2004 to 2009. Ford is also an environmental activist, having served as the inaugural vice chair of Conservation International since 1991. Harrison Ford
4134-470: The Round Up carnival ride. The boss orders the ride stopped, and Navin is removed by two carnival workers, who sit him down on the ride's stairs. "What are you looking at?", he asks them. "Haven't you seen a man so broken he needed to spin?". The film was a hit, earning over $ 73 million domestically, (making the movie the eighth highest-grossing of 1979 ) and $ 100 million worldwide, having been produced on
4240-673: The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of the Dalai Lama and an independent Tibet . In 2007, he narrated the documentary Dalai Lama Renaissance . In 2000, Ford donated $ 1000 to the presidential campaigns of Bill Bradley , Al Gore , and John McCain . In 2003, he publicly condemned the Iraq War and called for "regime change" in the United States. He also criticized Hollywood for making movies which were "more akin to video games than stories about human life and relationships", and he called for more gun control in
4346-440: The 1920s, comedy films grew in popularity, as laughter could result from both burlesque situations but also from humorous dialogue . Comedy, compared with other film genres , places more focus on individual star actors, with many former stand-up comics transitioning to the film industry due to their popularity. In The Screenwriters Taxonomy (2017), Eric R. Williams contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon
The Jerk - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-535: The 1980s and approximately half of which he has donated as a nature reserve. They retain a base in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Ford is one of Hollywood's most private actors, guarding much of his personal life. Ford commented on his parenting choices in 2023: "I can tell you this: If I’d been less successful, I’d probably be a better parent." In her 2016 autobiography The Princess Diarist , his co-star Carrie Fisher wrote that she and Ford had
4558-593: The Bomb , Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and The Graduate . In America, the sexual revolution drove an appetite for comedies that celebrated and parodied changing social morals, including Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Fanny Hill . In Britain, a camp sensibility lay behind the successful Carry On films , while in America subversive independent film-maker John Waters made camp films for college audiences with his drag queen friends that eventually found
4664-563: The Governing Board of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. Ford assists them in their mission of increasing public awareness of archaeology and preventing looting and the illegal antiquities trade . Throughout his career, Ford has received significant recognition for his work in the entertainment industry. In 1986, he
4770-744: The Minister of Forestry was given no prior warning of questions nor the chance to explain the challenges of catching illegal loggers . Ford was provided an audience with the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono , during which he expressed concerns regarding Indonesia's environmental degradation and the government efforts to address climate change . In response, the President explained Indonesia's commitment to preserving its oceans and forests. In 2019, on behalf of Conservation International, Ford gave an impassioned speech during
4876-795: The Rockies (2009), Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project (2014), and Living in the Age of Airplanes (2015). Ford is an honorary board member of the humanitarian aviation organization Wings of Hope , and is known for having made several trips to Washington, D.C., to fight for pilots' rights. He has also donated substantial funds to aerobatic champion Sean Tucker 's charitable program, The Bob Hoover Academy (named after legendary aviator Bob Hoover ), which educates at-risk teens in central California and teaches them how to fly. On August 22, 1987, Ford
4982-482: The Russian Empire. When asked in which religion he and his brother were raised, Ford jokingly responded " Democrat " and more seriously stated that they were raised to be "liberals of every stripe". When asked about what influence his Jewish and Irish Catholic ancestry may have had on him, he quipped, "As a man I've always felt Irish, as an actor I've always felt Jewish." Ford was a Boy Scout , achieving
5088-629: The United Nations' Climate Action Summit in New York on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its effect on climate change for the rest of the world. Ford urged his audience to listen to 'angry young people' trying to make a difference in the situation, emphasizing, "The most important thing we can do for them is to get the hell out of their way." Like his parents, Ford is a lifelong Democrat . On September 7, 1995, Ford testified before
5194-431: The United States and $ 291 million worldwide. Ford served as an executive producer on K-19: The Widowmaker and Extraordinary Measures , both of which were based on true events. In 2004, Ford declined a chance to star in the thriller Syriana , later commenting that "I didn't feel strongly enough about the truth of the material and I think I made a mistake." The role went to George Clooney , who won an Oscar and
5300-466: The United States. In 2009, Ford signed a petition calling for the release of film director Roman Polanski , who had been arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl . After Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said his favorite role of Ford's was Air Force One because he "stood up for America", Ford responded that it was just
5406-450: The action-adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He played the character in four additional sequels over the next four decades and also starred as Rick Deckard in the science fiction film Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and portrayed Jack Ryan in the spy thriller films Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). Ford's on-screen career spans seven decades. He received
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#17327974014835512-417: The anti-Trump Republican group The Lincoln Project to produce and narrate a 2020 election ad attacking Trump's disparaging of Anthony Fauci . On November 2, 2024, he endorsed Kamala Harris 's 2024 presidential campaign . Following on his success portraying the archaeologist Indiana Jones , Ford also plays a part in supporting the work of professional archaeologists . He serves as a General Trustee on
5618-719: The box office, there is an 'historical bias against a close and serious consideration of comedy' when it comes to critical reception and conferring of awards, such as at the Academy Awards . Film writer Cailian Savage observes "Comedies have won Oscars, although they’ve usually been comedy-dramas, involved very depressing scenes, or appealed to stone-hearted drama lovers in some other way, such as Shakespeare in Love ." According to Williams' taxonomy , all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) sub-genres. This combination does not create
5724-529: The buddy-comedy western The Frisco Kid (1979), playing a bank robber with a heart of gold. Ford returned to star in the successful Star Wars sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), as well as the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978). Ford wanted Lucas to kill off Han Solo at the end of Return of the Jedi , saying, "That would have given the whole film
5830-484: The cast and crew eating lunch together each day. Martin's favorite moment of the film, as he detailed in his 2007 memoir Born Standing Up , was the scene in which he and Peters sing "Tonight You Belong to Me". Martin felt the moment was touching, and waited in anticipation at the film's premiere screening in St. Louis . Unfortunately, much of the audience left during the scene to buy more popcorn. A scene in which Bill Murray
5936-468: The crash of a Bell 206L4 LongRanger helicopter. The NTSB accident report states that Ford was piloting the aircraft over the Lake Piru riverbed near Santa Clarita, California , on a routine training flight. While making his second attempt at an autorotation with powered recovery, the aircraft was unable to recover power after the sudden drop in altitude. It landed hard and began skidding forward in
6042-550: The crew needing to shoot Ford from the waist up for a short time until he recovered. Ford made his return to filming in mid-August, after a two-month layoff as he recovered from his injury. Ford's character was killed off in The Force Awakens , but it was subsequently announced, via a casting call, that Ford would return in some capacity as Solo in Episode VIII . In February 2016, when the cast for Episode VIII
6148-582: The decade, such as The Fugitive (1993), The Devil's Own (1997), and Air Force One (1997). For his performance in The Fugitive , which co-starred Tommy Lee Jones , Ford received some of the best reviews of his career, including from Roger Ebert , who concluded that, "Ford is once again the great modern movie everyman. As an actor, nothing he does seems merely for show, and in the face of this melodramatic material he deliberately plays down, lays low, gets on with business instead of trying to exploit
6254-503: The device and split any profits with Navin. The gunman opens fire at Navin but misses, and Navin flees to the grounds of a traveling carnival. Navin is hired as a weight guesser and is brusquely seduced by Patty Bernstein, an intimidating daredevil motorcyclist . Later, while operating a miniature railway , he meets a cosmetologist named Marie Kimble and arranges a date with her. When a jealous Patty interrupts and starts to beat Navin, where Marie easily knocks her unconscious. The two have
6360-509: The device. Navin loses the suit and is ordered to pay $ 10 million in damages, leaving him broke, and he storms out into the street after yelling at and blaming Marie. Seeing how callous and superficial they've become, Marie wears her tattered dress from the beach, and regrets requiring Navin to be rich. Having finished his story, Navin resigns himself to living in poverty, only to be found by his adoptive family, who have brought Marie and Shithead with them. The family has become wealthy by investing
6466-485: The documentary series Years of Living Dangerously , which reports on people affected by and seeking solutions to climate change. In 1993, the arachnologist Norman Platnick named a new species of spider Calponia harrisonfordi , and in 2002 the entomologist Edward O. Wilson named a new ant species Pheidole harrisonfordi (in recognition of Harrison's work as Vice Chairman of Conservation International ). The Peruvian snake species Tachymenoides harrisonfordi
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#17327974014836572-603: The drama in meaningless acting flourishes." Ford played more straight dramatic roles in Presumed Innocent (1990) and Regarding Henry (1991), and another romantic lead role in Sabrina (1995), a remake of the classic 1954 film of the same name. Ford established working relationships with many well-regarded directors during this time, including Weir, Alan J. Pakula , Mike Nichols , Phillip Noyce , and Sydney Pollack , collaborating twice with each of them. This
6678-404: The feeling of an epic tale. Like Dostoyevsky 's The Idiot , but not that. Like The Jerk . Martin wrote the part of "Marie" with Bernadette Peters in mind. He adapted several bits of his standup act to fit within the film, such as a monologue in which he emotionally exits a scene, remarking "I don't need anything", but nevertheless picking up each object he passes on his way out. In co-writing
6784-546: The film 42 was praised by many critics and garnered Ford a nomination as best supporting actor for the Satellite Awards . In 2014, he appeared in The Expendables 3 , and the following year, co-starred with Blake Lively in the romantic drama The Age of Adaline to positive reviews. Ford reprised the role of Han Solo in the long-awaited Star Wars sequel Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), which
6890-590: The film as an "early watered-down version of the crude comedy the Farrelly Brothers would later take to new extremes" and made references to it having similar themes to the early 1980s parody film Airplane! Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times also gave the film a mixed review, stating The Jerk was "all gags and very little comedy" and built of "gag situations [which] are milked for one-time laughs. They don't grow out of his character, or contribute to it." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever reviewed
6996-412: The film business and told Demy to hire a more experienced actor. The part eventually went to Gary Lockwood . Ford later commented that the experience had been nevertheless a positive one because Demy was the first to show such faith in him. Not happy with the roles offered to him, Ford became a self-taught professional carpenter to support his then-wife and two young sons. Clients at this time included
7102-435: The film for its book and rated the movie as being two and a half stars. The author of the review referred to Steve Martin's silly, exaggerated acting as complementary to the early comedian Jerry Lewis . The Jerk has been praised as not only one of Martin's best comedic efforts, but also one of the funniest films ever made. In 2000, readers of Total Film voted The Jerk the 48th greatest comedy film of all time. This film
7208-538: The first student voice broadcast on his high school's new radio station, WMTH , and he was its first sportscaster during his senior year. He attended Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin , where he was a philosophy major and a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. A self-described "late bloomer", Ford took a drama class in the final quarter of his senior year to get over his shyness and became fascinated with acting. Ford
7314-505: The late 1960s and early 1970s. After breakthrough supporting roles in American Graffiti (1973) and The Conversation (1974), he gained worldwide fame for his starring role as Han Solo in the epic space opera film Star Wars (1977), a part he reprised in four sequels over the next four decades. Ford is also known for his portrayal of the titular character in the popular media franchise Indiana Jones , beginning with
7420-433: The late 1990s, Ford started appearing in several critically derided and commercially disappointing films that failed to match his earlier successes, including Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Random Hearts (1999), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Hollywood Homicide (2003), Firewall (2006) and Extraordinary Measures (2010). One exception was What Lies Beneath (2000), which grossed over $ 155 million in
7526-551: The literary character created by Tom Clancy : Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), both co-starring Anne Archer and James Earl Jones . Ford took over the role from Alec Baldwin , who had played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990). This led to long-lasting resentment from Baldwin, who said that he had wanted to reprise the role but Ford had negotiated with Paramount behind his back. Ford played leading roles in other action-based thrillers throughout
7632-579: The loose gravel before flipping onto its side. Neither Ford nor the instructor pilot suffered any injuries, though the helicopter was seriously damaged. On March 5, 2015, Ford's plane, believed to be a Ryan PT-22 Recruit , made an emergency landing on the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California after it lost engine power. He was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center , where he was reported to be in fair to moderate condition. Ford suffered
7738-541: The money Navin sent them from time to time, and they take him and Marie home to live in their new house, which is nearly identical to their old shack but larger and sturdier. Once again Navin dances on the porch to folk songs, this time with perfect rhythm. Director Carl Reiner , credited as "Carl Reiner, the Celebrity", plays himself. Former Playboy Playmate Sharon Johansen plays Mrs. Hartounian, while Alfred Dennis has
7844-733: The position for another two years. He has flown over 280 children as part of the Young Eagles program, usually in his DHC-2 Beaver, which can seat the actor and five children. Ford stepped down as program chairman in 2009 and was replaced by Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles . He is involved with the EAA chapter in Driggs, Idaho , just over the Teton Range from Jackson, Wyoming. On July 28, 2016, Ford flew
7950-427: The romantic male lead opposite Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver in the comedy-drama Working Girl (1988). Witness and The Mosquito Coast allowed Ford to explore his potential as a dramatic actor, and both performances were widely acclaimed. Ford later recalled that working with director Peter Weir on Witness and The Mosquito Coast were two of the best experiences of his career. In late 1991, Ford
8056-626: The script with Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias , their goal was to provide a laugh on each page of the screenplay. Principal photography took 45 days using 85 locations in Greater Los Angeles , on a $ 4.6 million budget. This included Mohammed al Fassi 's mansion in Beverly Hills , Pasadena , Westlake Village and Devonshire Downs in Northridge . In shooting the film, Reiner "ran a joyful set", according to Martin, with
8162-581: The second-highest rank of Life Scout. He worked at Napowan Adventure Base Scout Camp as a counselor for the Reptile Study merit badge. Because of this, he and director Steven Spielberg later decided to depict the young Indiana Jones as a Life Scout in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Ford graduated in 1960 from Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois . His voice was
8268-551: The sound of its Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engine. According to Ford, it had been flown in the CIA's Air America operations and was riddled with bullet holes that had to be patched up. In March 2004, Ford officially became chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles program, founded by then-EAA president Tom Poberezny and fellow actor-pilot Cliff Robertson . Ford
8374-526: The two millionth Young Eagle at the EAA AirVenture convention, making it the most successful aviation-youth introduction program in history. As of 2009, Ford appears in Internet advertisements for General Aviation Serves America, a campaign by the advocacy group Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). He has also appeared in several independent aviation documentaries, including Wings Over
8480-620: The video game Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception for the PlayStation 3 . 2013 began a trend that saw Ford accepting more diverse supporting roles. That year, he co-starred in the corporate espionage thriller Paranoia with Liam Hemsworth and Gary Oldman , whom he had previously worked with in Air Force One , and also appeared in Ender's Game , 42 and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues . His performance as Branch Rickey in
8586-556: The western Journey to Shiloh (1968) and had an uncredited, non-speaking role in Michelangelo Antonioni 's 1970 film Zabriskie Point as an arrested student protester. In 1968, he also worked as a camera operator for one of the Doors ' tours. French filmmaker Jacques Demy chose Ford for the lead role of his first American film, Model Shop (1969), but the head of Columbia Pictures thought Ford had "no future" in
8692-554: The writers Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne , who lived on the beach at Malibu . Ford appears in the documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold . He and his wife became friends of the writers. Casting director and fledgling producer Fred Roos championed the young Ford and secured him an audition with George Lucas for the role of Bob Falfa, which Ford went on to play in American Graffiti (1973). Ford's relationship with Lucas profoundly affected his career later. After director Francis Ford Coppola 's film The Godfather
8798-624: Was expelled from college for plagiarism four days before graduation . In 1964, after a season of summer stock with the Belfry Players in Wisconsin, Ford traveled to Los Angeles and eventually signed a contract with Columbia Pictures ' new talent program. His first known role was an uncredited one as a bellhop in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966). There is little record of his non-speaking (or " extra ") roles in film. Ford
8904-501: Was a long slog. I didn't really find it that physically difficult—I thought it was mentally difficult." Ford and Scott also had differing views on the nature of his character, Deckard, that persist decades later. While not initially a success, Blade Runner became a cult classic and one of Ford's most highly regarded films. Ford proved his versatility throughout the 1980s with dramatic parts in films such as Witness (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986), and Frantic (1988), as well as
9010-590: Was a major financial success. Navin Johnson, a homeless person sleeping in a stairwell in Los Angeles , addresses the camera directly to tell his life story. The white adopted son of black sharecroppers in Mississippi , Navin grows to adulthood naïvely unaware of these circumstances. He is unable to dance in rhythm to the spirited folk songs played by the family, but finds that he can do so perfectly to
9116-568: Was a success, he hired Ford to expand his office and gave him small roles in his next two films, The Conversation (1974) and Apocalypse Now (1979); in the latter film, Ford played an army colonel named "G. Lucas". Ford's work in American Graffiti eventually landed him his first starring film role, when Lucas hired him to read lines for actors auditioning for roles in Lucas's upcoming epic space-opera film Star Wars (1977). Lucas
9222-568: Was asked to take the position by Greg Anderson, Senior Vice President of the EAA at the time, to replace General Chuck Yeager , who was vacating the post that he had held for many years. Ford at first was hesitant, but later accepted the offer and has made appearances with the Young Eagles at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh gathering at Oshkosh , Wisconsin, for two years. In July 2005, at the gathering in Oshkosh, Ford agreed to accept
9328-470: Was at the bottom of the hiring list, having offended producer Jerry Tokofsky . According to one anecdote, Tokofsky told Ford that when actor Tony Curtis delivered a bag of groceries, he could tell that Curtis was a movie star whereas Ford wasn't; Ford immediately retorted that if Curtis was truly a talented actor, he would've delivered them like a bellhop. Ford was apparently fired soon after. His speaking roles continued next with Luv (1967), though he
9434-546: Was born at the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois , on July 13, 1942, to former radio actress Dorothy (née Nidelman) and advertising executive and former actor John William "Christopher" Ford. His younger brother, Terence, was born in 1945. Their father was a Catholic of Irish descent , while their mother was an Ashkenazi Jew whose parents were emigrants from Minsk , Belarus, then in
9540-691: Was cast as Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in the 2025 superhero films Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* , set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , replacing William Hurt , who played the character in previous MCU films from 2008 to 2021 before his death. Ford has been married three times and has four biological children and one adopted child. He was first married to Mary Marquardt from 1964 until their divorce in 1979. They had two sons, born in 1966 and 1969. The older son co-owns Ford's Filling Station,
9646-683: Was cast to star alongside Helen Mirren in the Paramount+ western drama series 1923 . The two had previously starred together 36 years earlier in The Mosquito Coast . The series premiered in December 2022 to positive reviews, and it is set to run for a total of two seasons. That same year, it was announced that Ford would star in the Apple TV+ comedy drama series Shrinking . The series premiered in January 2023 to positive reviews, with Ford receiving praise for his performance. In
9752-654: Was confirmed, it was indicated that Ford would not reprise his role in the film after all. When Ford was asked whether Solo could come back in "some form", he replied, "Anything is possible in space." He eventually made an uncredited appearance as a vision in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). On February 26, 2015, Alcon Entertainment announced Ford would reprise his role as Rick Deckard in Denis Villeneuve 's science fiction sequel film Blade Runner 2049 . The film, and Ford's performance,
9858-490: Was eventually won over by Ford's performance during these line reads and cast him as Han Solo . Star Wars became one of the most successful and groundbreaking films of all time, and brought Ford, and his co-stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher , widespread recognition. Ford began to be cast in bigger roles in films throughout the late 1970s, including Heroes (1977), Force 10 from Navarone (1978) and Hanover Street (1979). He also co-starred alongside Gene Wilder in
9964-468: Was highly successful, like its predecessors. During filming on June 11, 2014, Ford suffered what was said to be a fractured ankle when a hydraulic door fell on him. He was airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford , England, for treatment. Ford's son Ben released details on his father's injury, saying that his ankle would likely need a plate and screws, and that filming could be altered slightly, with
10070-623: Was interested in casting Ford from the beginning, but Lucas was not, having already worked with him in American Graffiti and Star Wars . Lucas relented after Tom Selleck was unable to accept. Ford went on to reprise the role throughout the rest of the decade in the prequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and the sequel Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). During the June 1983 filming of Temple of Doom in London, Ford herniated
10176-624: Was named for Ford in 2023. In September 2013, Ford, while filming an environmental documentary in Indonesia , interviewed the Indonesian Forestry Minister, Zulkifli Hasan . After the interview, Ford and his crew were accused of "harassing state institutions" and publicly threatened with deportation . Questions within the interview concerned the Tesso Nilo National Park , Sumatra . It was alleged
10282-474: Was nominated for Best Actor at the 58th Academy Awards for his performance in Witness , a role for which he also received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations in the same category. Three additional Golden Globe nominations went to Ford in 1987 , 1994 and 1996 for his performances in The Mosquito Coast , The Fugitive and Sabrina . In 2000, he was the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award from
10388-412: Was slated to portray company lawyer A. Philip Randolph in an action-historical film entitled Night Ride Down , which would have been set around a labor union strike in the 1930s. Paramount Pictures shelved the project, after Ford quit the film over script changes he disagreed with. In the years that followed, Ford became the second actor to portray Jack Ryan in two films of the film series based on
10494-427: Was still uncredited. He was finally credited as "Harrison J. Ford" in the 1967 Western film A Time for Killing , starring Glenn Ford , George Hamilton and Inger Stevens , but the "J" did not stand for anything since he has no middle name. It was added to avoid confusion with a silent film actor named Harrison Ford , who appeared in more than 80 films between 1915 and 1932 and died in 1957. Ford later said that he
10600-428: Was the most lucrative period of Ford's career. From 1977 to 1997, he appeared in 14 films that reached the top 15 in the yearly domestic box-office rankings, 12 of which reached the top ten. Six of the films he appeared in during this time were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , among other awards: Star Wars , Apocalypse Now , Raiders of the Lost Ark , Witness , Working Girl , and The Fugitive . In
10706-414: Was the second-highest-grossing film worldwide in 2008. Ford later said he would like to star in another sequel "if it didn't take another 20 years to digest." Other 2008 work included Crossing Over , directed by Wayne Kramer. In the film, Ford plays an ICE/ Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent, working alongside Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta . He also narrated a feature documentary film about
10812-437: Was to have made a cameo was cut from the final film. An alternate, comic introduction of Marie (Peters), near the train ride Navin was running at the carnival, was shot. When her nephew takes off on the train, Navin rescues him, and in returning the boy to Marie, has the bill of his engineer's cap pulled down over his eyes so he cannot see the toy village he (Navin) destroys like a lunatic. This scene might have been edited due to
10918-506: Was traveling as a passenger with Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke aboard a Gulfstream III when the jet developed an engine fire and stuck landing gear during a Paris-to-L.A. flight and was forced to land in Bangor, Maine . The charter company owning the G-3 sent another jet and mechanics to Bangor, and the group flew out on that plane the next day. On October 23, 1999, Ford was involved in
11024-470: Was unaware of the existence of the earlier actor until he came upon a star with his own name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Ford soon dropped the "J" and worked for Universal Studios , playing minor roles in many television series throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Gunsmoke , Ironside , The Virginian , The F.B.I. , Love, American Style and Kung Fu . He appeared in
11130-566: Was very well received by critics upon its release in October 2017. Scott Collura of IGN called it a "deep, rich, smart film that's visually awesome and full of great sci-fi concepts" and Ford's role "a quiet, sort of gut-wrenching interpretation to Deckard and what he must've gone through in the past three decades." The film grossed $ 259.3 million worldwide, short of the estimated $ 400 million that it needed to break even . In 2019, Ford had his first voice role in an animated film, as
11236-538: Was well received by critics, some of whom thought it was his best role in years. In July 2011, Ford starred alongside Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde in the science-fiction/western hybrid film Cowboys & Aliens . To promote the film, he appeared at San Diego Comic-Con and, apparently surprised by the warm welcome, told the audience, "I just wanted to make a living as an actor. I didn't know about this." Also in 2011, Ford starred in Japanese commercials advertising
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