Action Hero Superstar Harrison Ford Turns 70—Snakkle Takes a Look Back

Harrison Ford graduated from Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, in 1960. Never a model student, Ford spent most of his high school years as a scrawny nerd type. His voice was one of the first broadcast on the school’s radio station, and he spent his senior year as a sports broadcaster.

Unsatisfied with his early roles––bit parts and nonspeaking roles––Ford became a self-taught professional carpenter. A job at the home of director George Lucas opened the first of many doors for Ford. Lucas originally brought Ford in to read lines with other auditioning actors, but Ford eventually won him over and was cast as Han Solo. To date, it remains one of Ford’s most memorable roles.

In arguably his most famous role aside from Han Solo, Harrison Ford starred as explorer Indiana Jones in the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg franchise. Lucas was initially hesitant to cast Ford, and the role was originally cast with Tom Selleck. But Selleck's Magnum, P.I. commitments forced him to back out. The character of Indiana Jones is ranked in the top 5 of dozens of “Top Character/Hero” lists, including No. 2 on Time magazine's list of the greatest fictional characters of all time.

In this thriller, Harrison Ford plays Captain John Book, a police officer assigned a murder case. The only witness is an 8-year-old Amish boy named Samuel. The movie earned critical acclaim, and Ford received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, his only nomination to date.

Patriot Games is an action-suspense film based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy. It is a sequel to The Hunt for Red October, also a Clancy novel. Harrison Ford took over the character of Jack Ryan after Alec Baldwin declined to reprise the role he held in Red October.

Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, wrongfully accused and convicted of killing his wife. The movie chronicles his escape and his search for the true killer, all while being pursued by U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones).

In 1994 Harrison Ford reprised his role as Jack Ryan for the follow-up to Patriot Games. (Ben Affleck continued the Jack Ryan story in 2002's Sum of All Fears, and it is rumored that Chris Pine is in talks to star in a fifth movie.)

Harrison Ford stars as Linus Larrabee in the remake of the 1954 romantic comedy Sabrina. Though the film was mostly well received by critics, it is considered one of Ford’s few (financial) flops.

Harrison Ford stars as crotchety pilot Quinn Harris opposite Anne Heche as Robin Monroe. Ford, already a licensed pilot, had to get additional flying certifications to be allowed to fly in the film’s aerial scenes.

In the 1997 thriller Air Force One, Harrison Ford stars as President James Marshall. He and his family are taken hostage by Russian terrorists while aboard the President's plane, Air Force One. Ford personally approached actress Glenn Close to star in the film with him––though not with any ordinary meeting. He asked her at a party for then President Bill Clinton! Ford also wrangled permission from President Clinton to tour the real Air Force One.

Harrison Ford stars alongside Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde in the sci-fi/Western Cowboys & Aliens. The film premiered at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con. Ford made his first appearance at the conference and was surprised at the warm welcome he received from the guests, saying, "I just wanted to make a living as an actor. I didn't know about this."

Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart began dating in 2002 and were together for several years before he proposed in 2009. The two were married in 2010. Together they have a son, Liam, whom Flockhart adopted in 2001. Ford's next movie is a sci-fi adventure flick called Ender's Game, costarring Abigail Breslin and Ben Kingsley.