Harrison Ford is a household name, but it wasn’t always that way.
Having bagged himself globally recognised awards, roles and franchises, Ford has been an actor at the very top of his game for decades.
However, he was once told that he’d ‘never make it’ in show business in the early days of his career.
I wonder if the person who said that dropped to the floor when Star Wars was released?
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While working as a carpenter, Ford would go on to attempt to kick-start his acting career by nabbing a series of uncredited roles.
And it wasn’t until 1977, with his big break with George Lucas’s space hit, that people knew he was destined for stardom.
At the time, Ford was actually building cabinets for Lucas when the director decided to cast him as the leading man, Han Solo, for which he would go on to reprise multiple times over the next 40 years.
Ever since the success of Star Wars, he was dubbed the 14th greatest movie hero of all time by the American Film Institution, received an Oscar nod for Witness and played Rick Deckard in Blade Runner- reprising it in 2017 alongside Ryan Gosling.
But as it’s Star Wars Day today, it’s the perfect opportunity to see how Ford changed the opinions of Hollywood Executives who told him he’d never make it and what he’s worth today.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Ford left college with a degree in English and Philosophy where he realised his love for acting.
After signing up for a drama course as he believed it would be an easy pass, he told People magazine in 1997: “I was terrified to get up in front of people, but I really enjoyed the storytelling part.”
That’s when he decided to go for it full-time and ended up with a deal with Columbia Pictures as a contract player earning $150 a week and then followed suit with Universal, where he debuted it Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round.
However, it was during this time (nearly a decade before Han Solo) where a studio official told him: “You’ll never make it in this business”.
But it all changed in 1977, when his luck changed and Lucas made him a star.
At this point in time, Ford was earning $10,000 (£7,940) until the next two sequels boosted his pay to $500,000 (£396,840).
Now, that’s a jump.
That’s when his success and acting chops were evident, and he went on to take part in the Blade Runner franchise, The Fugitive, and Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Can you guess what his net worth is now, 40 years on?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he is estimated to be worth around $300 million (£25,726,800), thanks to his blockbuster hits and public love.
He was even the highest-paid actor on Forbes’ annual Celebrity 100 list in 2009, which would definitely warrant an early retirement.
But he’s still at it, proving that his acting is no joke!
Britt Jones