"That absolutely knocked me out": Harrison Ford Was in Complete Disbelief After Watching Star Wars For the First Time (2024)

SUMMARY

• Harrison Ford played the role of Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy.
• The actor's portrayal has become a pop cultural icon and has become legendary.
• The actor described the feeling he got when he first saw Star Wars back in 1977.

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Harrison Ford played the role of Han Solo in George Lucas’ Star Wars. The actor had played a supporting role in Lucas’ debut American Graffiti and was selected to play the wise-cracking intergalactic bounty hunter. Ford reprised his role in the second and third episodes of the original trilogy and the first film in the sequel trilogy.

Ford has expressed his disdain for the role multiple times over the years despite receiving worldwide recognition for the global phenomenon. The actor also reportedly tried to cut short his tenure early by having Solo killed off in The Empire Strikes Back. However, even he admitted that watching the film for the first time was a whole new experience.

Harrison Ford Speaks In Wonder About Watching Star Wars For The First Time

Harrison Ford has been synonymous with two legacy characters and has made a permanent mark on pop culture history. While he starred in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones films, he also was part of the leading trio in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy. Ford played the role of Han Solo, a bounty hunter who crosses paths with Leia and Luke Skywalker.

Ford has often spoken about not being a huge fan of the Star Wars films despite gaining worldwide stardom due to his appearances. He mentioned that he tried to get Han Solo killed off at the end of the original trilogy but he could not get through to George Lucas. His dream finally came true in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Jimmy Kimmel Live).

However, the actor admitted long back that despite his disdain for the character, the experience of watching Star Wars in 1977 for the first time was an experience like no other. He said in an interview with AFI,

The first film, you may remember, starts with a scroll. And then, a huge spaceship comes closer and closer and feels as if it flew off the screen. That absolutely knocked me out. The special effects, the visual element, the sound design, and the music all came together at that one moment right at the beginning of the film. I knew that I was going to see something I’d never seen before.

The film went on to become a global phenomenon upon release and was the highest-grossing film of all time back then, surpassing Spielberg’s Jaws.

Harrison Ford Said That He Always Believed In The Success Of Star Wars

Since the release of the 1977 original, Star Wars has turned into one of the highest-grossing franchises with multiple films, shows, merchandise, and animated series in its roster. Nine films following the Skywalker Saga have been produced with each grossing millions at the box office and multiple spinoffs have also been received with varying degrees of success.

While Harrison Ford has been vocal about his disdain for Han Solo and was relieved that the character was killed off in The Force Awakens, he mentioned that he would not have accepted the role if he did not believe in its success. He said in an interview with Inquirer,

Did I think they might be successful films? Yes—or I would have run away (laughs). It might have seemed odd to the British crew when we were making the first “Star Wars.” They might have said, “What’s going on here?” Like, there’s a seven-foot-tall man in a dog suit. There’s also a beautiful princess, a wise old warrior, and a callow youth. Then, there’s a smarta*s—I know the part I play (laughs). And it’s fun!

The actor mentioned that he saw the films as a fairy tale first and believed that the kind of story Lucas wanted to tell would work in every medium.

All Star Wars films and media are available to stream on Disney Plus.