Net Worth Ledger

Tag: Harrison Ford

  • Beyond Hollywood: Harrison Ford’s Unstarring Role in Philanthropy

    Beyond Hollywood: Harrison Ford’s Unstarring Role in Philanthropy

    Not satisfied with merely playing a hero on screen, Harrison Ford has dedicated a portion of his personal life towards charity and goodwill. And while he cannot fly under his own volition, he can pilot vehicles like his helicopter, which he has used to benefit the world. In one such instance, Harrison flew volunteers and medical supplies to Haiti to combat to aid those suffering from the country’s earthquake in 2010. Also owing Air Ford a huge debt of gratitude are a woman who was stranded on a mountain and a teenage boy lost in Yellowstone National Park.

    He continues to do his part amid the clouds by serving as an “airborne watchdog” for Riverkeeper, an environmental group that counts on the actor to patrol the Hudson River in New York and report polluters and other toxic ne’er-do-wells. So effective was he in his modern-day Millennium Falcon that he was awarded a Lindbergh Award, though we doubt he received it from the hands of a princess–turned–general with a Wookiee by his side. Once the medals have been awarded, it’s back up in the air for Harrison—this time as an educator. He serves as an honorary chairman of the Young Eagles, taking underprivileged kids for a ride to afford them an opportunity to learn more about nature and the world around them (and, for the duration of the trip, below them). Harrison cares deeply for the environment, having joined Conservation International in 1991, and going on to serve as a board member and vice chairman for the research group.

    When he’s not flying around saving lives, Harrison is a dedicated supporter of a plethora of charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Oceana, though the time span of his involvement and the degree to which he is involved is unknown.

    For more on Harrison Ford, read our Net Worth deep dive.

  • From Carpentry to Millennium Falcon: The Exciting Launch of Harrison Ford’s Stardom

    From Carpentry to Millennium Falcon: The Exciting Launch of Harrison Ford’s Stardom

    In 1964, Harrison Ford knew he wanted to pursue acting. He also knew that, in order to do so, he must go where the action was: Hollywood. As this was 60 years ago, radio was still a viable medium and preferred to actors a means of earning a living. Such was Harrison’s thinking when he applied to do voiceover work. While he did not land the gig, Harrison chose to remain in Los Angeles and pursue other avenues. One of those avenues was Columbia Pictures’ new-talent program. He signed a contract worth $150 a week to fulfil bit parts in the studio’s films; however, a fateful interaction with producer Jerry Tokofsky on the set of the 1966 crime-drama Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round landed Ford at the bottom of the pile of acting hopefuls. Harrison made a quip that did not endear him to the producer. Ironic that he would get his big break in 1977 playing a character with a similar attitude.

    Before THAT role, though, came another with a relative newcomer to the directing game: George Lucas. The film was the ’50s flashback American Graffiti (1973), starring Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss. At the time, Harrison had turned to carpentry as a means of supporting his then-wife and two young sons. The self-taught craftsman was discovered by casting director and producer Fred Roos, who secured him an audition with Lucas for the role of Bob Falfa, a drag racer whose minimal time on the screen didn’t prevent Ford from charming audiences with his smirk.

    It’s that smirk that Lucas was looking for when casting for the role of Han Solo in his sci-fi action film, Star Wars (1977). The film would go on to be one of the greatest in American cinema and make superstars of its main cast, including Ford. Two sequels would come in quick succession: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983). Both featured Ford as the swashbuckler pilot of the Millennium Falcon (and lifelong friend of Chewbacca). Throughout the subsequent decades, Star Wars Universe prequels and offshoots would come and go but none would involve Ford until 2015’s The Force Awakens, and again in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

    For more on the life and career of Harrison Ford, check out our Net Worth article on the actor.