Height
6' 1" (1.85 m)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mini biography
His father was Irish, his mother Russian-Jewish. He was a lackluster student at Maine Township High School in Park Ridge Illinois (no athletic star, never above a C average). After dropping out of Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he did some acting and later summer stock, he signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and later Universal. His roles in movies and TV ( "Ironside" (1967), "The Virginian" (1962)) remained secondary and, discouraged, he turned to a career in professional carpentry. He came back big four years later, however, as Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973). Four years after that he hit colossal with the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977). Another four years and Ford was (words fail) Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Still another four years and he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role as John Book in Witness (1985). All he managed four years after that was his third starring success as Indiana Jones; in fact, many of his earlier successful roles led to sequels as did his more recent portrayal of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992). Another Golden Globe nomination came his way for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993). He is clearly a well- established Hollywood superstar. He also maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spouse
Melissa Mathison (14 March 1983 - 6 January 2004) (divorced) 2 children
Mary Marquardt (18 June 1964 - 1979) (divorced) 2 children

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trivia
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#15). [1995]

In his spare time, as a hobby, is also a master craftsman.

Revealed on the "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) that he has some false teeth; 2 were pulled by a dentist after some others were damaged when he fell on a gun during a stunt for a TV appearance early in his career.

He provided the whip-cracks on the song "Desperation Samba (Halloween in Tijuana)" for Jimmy Buffett's album "Last Mango in Paris"

Private pilot, single engine fixed wing and helicopter. Owns a Bonanza, Gulfstream IV, DeHavland Beaver, and Bell 407 helicopter. Destroyed first 407 during simulated "engine-out" practice. Regularly flies himself between New York City and Wyoming homes. Has a loft in Tribeca, NYC.

Chosen as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. [1998]

Ranked #1 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1997]

Listed as one of 50 people barred from entering Tibet. Disney clashed with Chinese officials over the film Kundun (1997), which Ford's second wife, Melissa Mathison, wrote. [19 December 1996]

Studied at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, but left without obtaining a degree.

His wife, Melissa Mathison, wrote the screenplay for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

His "first broadcast" was during his senior year in high school (1960), when he was literally the first voice heard over the new radio station, WMTH-FM, located at Maine Township High School in Park Ridge Illinois as they came on the air for the first time.

Considers The Mosquito Coast (1986) to be his favorite of all the movies in which he has starred.

Lives in a white-painted ranch that he built himself in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Has a scar on his chin which he got when he tried to "buckle up" while already driving, and lost control of the car.

He was billed as Harrison J. Ford until 1970 for less confusion between him and a silent-screen actor Harrison Ford -- he actually has no middle name.

While in college Ford appeared as Mac the Knife in the musical play, "The Threepenny Opera".

Brother of Terence Ford.

Piloted his helicopter to rescue dehydrated 20 year old hiker Sarah George from Table Mountain near his Jackson Hole, Wyoming ranch. [31 July 2000]

Turned down the romance-action film Proof of Life (2000) (the Russell Crowe role), the summer-blockbuster The Perfect Storm (2000) (the George Clooney role), and finally, another summer-blockbuster, the war-epic The Patriot (2000) (the Mel Gibson role). Ford has said "The Patriot" was "too violent" for his tastes, especially considering that many children were killed and endangered throughout the film. He told People Magazine that he also turned down the film because he felt the story was too simple: "The Revolutionary War boiled down to one man seeking revenge."

Replaced Kevin Costner in Air Force One (1997).

Listed in the 2001 Guinness Book of Records as the richest male actor.

Turned down the role of Judge Wakefield in the movie Traffic (2000).

Credited with "creating" what many believe to be the best scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) because he was suffering from a bout of dysentery at the time of filming: during the scene in Cairo with the swordsman in black, the script called for a much longer fight, but because of his condition, Harrison quietly asked director Spielberg if they could shorten the scene. Spielberg's reply was that the only way it could be done would be if Indy pulled out his gun and "just shot the guy." The rest of the crew, not aware of the change, laughed at this, and it remained in the final cut.

Honored for his work with the environment, Ford was asked to name a new breed of butterfly. He named it after his daughter, Georgia.

Dragonfly (2002) was written with Ford in mind for the lead role. He turned it down to take a year off from making movies, and the part was given to Kevin Costner.

Costner's and Ford's casting choices have crossed paths many times before. Ford turned down the Jack Ryan role in The Hunt for Red October (1990) as did Costner. Ford instead made Presumed Innocent (1990) and Costner made his Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves (1990). The Jack Ryan role went to then character-actor Alec Baldwin.

The U.S. box office grosses (in the U.S.) of all of Ford's films total about $3.18 billion. The worldwide grosses of all his films totals about $5.65 billion. This does not count inflation of some of his older movies (the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" series, for example). No other actor in history has box-office grosses as large as Ford's.

Has a species of ant named after him. Peidole harrisonfordi - a species of Central American ant was named in honour of the actor's conservation work. Also a spider - Calponia Harrisonfordi.

He suffered a back injury while filming Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) which required surgery. While he was away Spielberg filmed around him as best he could in the fights and stunt scenes using Vic Armstrong, a British born stunt man who looked so much like Ford that members of the crew were always mistaking him for Ford. Ford resumed doing his own stunts upon his return, and his close ups were added later into the finished film.

Recommended River Phoenix for the role of the young Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Ford and Phoenix had previously played father and son in The Mosquito Coast (1986).

Ranked #8 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)

He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity in college.

30 May 2003: Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Both his Indiana Jones jacket and fedora hat are on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

He nearly turned down the role of Henry in Regarding Henry (1991) because the main character was a trial lawyer. He had just played a trial lawyer in Presumed Innocent (1990), and was afraid of being typecast as a lawyer! He later took the role when he realized that Henry would only be functioning as a lawyer for the first ten minutes of the film.

October 2003 - had surgery on a torn-rotator cuff.

Was the second actor to play Tom Clancy's CIA man Jack Ryan (in Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994)) after the first actor, Alec Baldwin backed out after The Hunt for Red October (1990). Ben Affleck is the third to take the part.

Worked as a carpenter in Los Angeles before achieving fame in movies, mainly doing home remodeling work. Had a reputation as one of the best cabinetmakers in the city, and his services were much in demand on Los Angeles' trendy Westside long before he became a movie star.

His divorce from Melissa Mathison turned out to be the most expensive in the history of Hollywood.

Scared director Steven Spielberg and the crew during Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) when, without warning, he ran out across the rope bridge used in the film's climax to test its safety.

During the scene where he is frozen in carbonite in _The Empire Strikes Back (1980)_ , Carrie Fisher says, "I love you." and Ford was supposed to reply "I love you." but he suggested changing it to "I know."

Children: with Mary Marquardt, sons Benjamin (b. 22.09.1967) and Willard (b. 14-05-1969); with Melissa Mathison, son Malcolm Ford (b. 10-03-1987) and daughter Georgia (b. 30-06-1991).

Was offered the part of Mike Stivic on "All in the Family" (1971), but turned it down, citing the bigotry of Archie Bunker was too offensive.

Has been in three films written by Lawrence Kasdan, but never one directed by him. Kasdan wrote Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

His character, Han Solo, was ranked number 33 in Comedy Central's newest show: 'Mouthing Off: 51 Greatest Smartasses'.

He had a role as the school principal in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) who lectures Elliot about the dangers of alcohol. The scene was cut because director Steven Spielberg felt that Ford's presence would break the flow of the film. The only footage known to exist appeared in The E.T. Storybook released at the same time as the film.

His favorite record is "On the Edge", by his favorite artist, Patrick Rondat.

He was voted the 46th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Said that Blade Runner (1982) was one of the most frustrating films he'd ever done, because the actual shoot was very grueling and because of the post-production changes which were meant to (but didn't) help the film do better at the box office.

Was originally brought in by George Lucas to feed lines to other actors auditioning for _Star Wars (1976)_ because he wasn't allowed to audition (Lucas wanted new faces for the film). He eventually won Lucas over and the role of Han Solo went to him.

Once described Han Solo as "The great rapscallion of the universe."

Out of the three leads of the original Star Wars trilogy, he was the only one to appear in all three films without ever signing a contract.

Was friends with Billy Dee Williams before they appeared together in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Williams had tested for the role of Han Solo in the original film.

He has acted alongside four actors from "The Lord of the Rings" series before they appeared in the trilogy. John Rhys-Davies in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Viggo Mortensen in Witness (1985); Sean Bean in Patriot Games (1992) and Miranda Otto in What Lies Beneath (2000).

When he arrived in England to start filming the original Star Wars (1977) Alec Guinness helped him find an apartment.