Harrison Ford’s movies have made over $5 billion in North America and over $9 billion globally, according to Box Office Mojo. In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award and four Golden Globe Awards, he has received a number of honors, including the AFI Life Achievement Award and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Ford became well-known all across the globe for his lead part as Han Solo in the epic space opera movie Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, and he returned to play the character in four sequels over the course of the following 42 years.
In addition, Ford is well recognized for portraying the role of Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark action-adventure franchise as well as various roles in other franchises, most notably Rick Deckard in the dystopian science fiction movies Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. The actor has worked with some of the most well-known and significant filmmakers of his era, including George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg, during the course of his six-decade career. But what was his first film role?
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Harrison Ford’s First Credited Role Was A Western
Columbia Pictures
Ford’s first two films, 1966’s Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round and 1967’s Luv, were uncredited roles where his name was not listed as an actor, although he does appear in small parts. As uncredited roles, they may have gotten his foot into the acting world, but they didn’t have an impact on his career at all.
His first credited film was actually in 1967 called A Time for Killing, a Western set during the Civil War. In the movie, Confederate troops break out of a Union jail during the Civil War and flee toward the Mexican border. They murder a Union courier en route who is carrying news that the war is over. The Union search team, who is also ignorant that the war has come to an end, soon engages the Captain’s soldiers in combat when he orders his men to continue while keeping the message hidden.
Ford, who plays Lieutenant Shaffer, stars alongside acclaimed actors of that time period including Inger Stevens, Glenn Ford, and Paul Petersen. The film, based on the 1961 novel The Southern Blade by Nelson Wolford and Shirley Wolford, was directed by Phil Karlson and produced by Harry Joe Brown. A Time for Killing went on to become an integral piece of Harrison Ford’s history and paved the way for his career to skyrocket.
What’s Next for Harrison Ford?
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Ford went on to star in many acting roles and has had tremendous success in his career. His work has influenced and encompassed the lives of many people who love his heroic adventure style. Ford’s next big project is the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 film, which Ford says will be his last as the iconic character. Of course, the actor doesn’t seem to be retiring anytime soon. He is also due to star in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, as a heartbroken psychologist who, by being blatantly truthful, transforms people’s lives, according to Deadline.