Veteran actor Harrison Ford recently revealed that, early in his career, a Hollywood studio executive told him he had “no future in the business” unless he drastically changed his name and appearance.
During an interview published by Variety, Ford recounted being summoned in the 1960s to the office of the head of new talent at Columbia Pictures, where he was under contract for $150 per week. Around that time, Ford made his first on-screen appearance in the 1966 comedy crime film “Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round.”
The executive wanted Ford to change his name. “He thought that ‘Harrison Ford’ was too pretentious a name for a young man,” he said. “And then he asked me to get my hair cut like Elvis Presley. That I didn’t go along with.”
Years later, after achieving widespread recognition, he encountered the executive again.
“He sent me a card on which he’d written, ‘I missed my guess,’” Ford recalled. “I looked around, couldn’t remember which one he was, but then he nodded at me and smiled, and I thought, ‘Oh yeah, I know you.’”
Now 83, Ford has since become one of the most well-known actors in American cinema. While he once supported his family as a carpenter during the 1960s and 1970s, his breakthrough came after director George Lucas cast him in 1973’s “American Graffiti.” Lucas later selected Ford for the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars,” a casting decision that catapulted the actor into global stardom.
He went on to portray Indiana Jones in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” cementing his reputation as a leading man capable of anchoring major franchises. Over the course of his nearly six-decade career, Ford has worked with directors such as Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Peter Weir, and starred in acclaimed films including 1982’s “Blade Runner,” 1985’s “Witness,” 1988’s “Working Girl,” and 1993’s “The Fugitive.”
Despite his iconic roles and enduring popularity, Ford has maintained that his ambitions were initially modest. “No one ever believes this, but I never wanted to be rich and famous,” he said in a 2023 interview with People. “I just wanted to be an actor.”
“I thought I would be lucky to have a character part on a regular TV show,” he added.
Ford’s most recent projects include his role as Paul in the current Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.” Other projects include Jacob Dutton in the drama series “1923” and playing military officer Thaddeus Ross in 2025’s “Captain America: Brave New World.”
