“Star Wars”: why did Harrison Ford become a star thanks to a door?

Before he was Han Solo, he was a carpenter. A look back at the improbable success story of Harrison Ford, who owes his rise to a stroke of luck and a wooden door.

In the 1960s, Harrison Ford was far from being the superstar we know today. Originally from Chicago, he arrived in Los Angeles with the hope of breaking into the cinema. Hired by Columbia and Universal for small roles, he fails to impose himself. “My lines were cut during editing”he recalls in an interview with Just Jared. Tired of being considered a second-rate actor, Ford turns to carpentry to support his family. Self-taught, he learned the trade by borrowing books from the library. He quickly made a name for himself in Hollywood circles thanks to the quality of his work. “I preferred to be a respected craftsman than a mediocre actor”he used to say in his interviews. This is how he began working for personalities in the cinema world, such as Fred Roos, Universal casting director, and Francis Ford Coppolathe immense director to whom we owe the trilogy Godfather in particular, for whom he carried out several works.

The door to success

In 1973Harrison Ford plays a small role in American Graffiti (1974), directed by a young, still unknown director: George Lucas. Despite the film's success, Ford barely taking off. His collaboration with Lucas, however, remains fondly remembered. Three years later, when he installed a door in the offices of Francis Ford Coppolahe once again crosses paths with the director, who is preparing the casting of a certain Star Wars. Lucas had a strict rule: not engage the actors ofAmerican Graffiti. However, during the auditions, Harrison Ford was invited by producer Fred Roos to read Han Solo's lines in front of the other candidates. “It was just a service, I didn’t think I would be considered for the role”says Ford. But his performance marks Lucas and the producers. The obvious is obvious: Han Solo, that's him.

It was his very first appearance on the big screen! It lasts 30 seconds but still…

To establish yourself, with hammer blows…

The filming of Star Wars: A New Hope begins in 1976and Harrison Ford brilliantly plays the smuggler who resists authority. Her natural charisma and its sharp humor quickly establish themselves as essential elements of the saga. However, Ford stay modest in the face of its success. This role was mainly to feed his family. Even better, it opens the doors to Hollywood and other major projects. In 1981he becomes Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark after Tom Selleck's refusal, and in 1982, he left his mark in Blade Runner by Ridley Scott. Harrison Ford's journey reminds us that luck can strike at any timebut you have to be ready to grasp it. His story as a carpenter who became one of cinema's greatest icons illustrates the resilience and versatility needed to succeed in an industry. as ruthless as Hollywood. Lesson to learn: sometimes, a blow of a hammer can open doors that we never imagined…

Sources :

RTBF – “How Harrison Ford went from… carpenter to Hollywood star”July 24, 2020.
Come on – “When Harrison Ford’s Carpentry Gig Led To Han Solo, Changing His Hollywood Journey Forever”November 23, 2024.
Just Jared – “Harrison Ford Reveals How His Carpentry Skills Helped Him Land Han Solo Role In ‘Star Wars’”date not specified.
Grazia – “Harrison Ford, the Hollywood carpenter”January 25, 2024.
Premiere – “The collector’s photo of Harrison Ford, 28 years old, carpenter”December 30, 2015.
France Info – “From carpenter to Hollywood star… The life of Harrison Ford”3 mars 2020.