LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Harrison Ford surpassed an unexpected Disney milestone with 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. The Hollywood icon who just turned 81 on Thursday, July 13, played an internationally recognized archaeologist and explorer in four films in the franchise over the course of four decades, and he is beloved for the part.
Even if Ford—a cultural icon—is the major compelling reason to see the movie, it's unusual to see an actor in his 80s playing the lead in a big summer hit. The star famously made a joke about what it would feel like to continue portraying Indiana Jones at the age of 80, and he has done it! In doing so, he also broke the previous record for the oldest actor to play the lead in a Disney film, taking over a 24-year-old record by Richard Farnsworth in David Lynch's true-story-based film 'The Straight Story', as per reports.
How old is Harrison Ford?
Harrison Ford celebrates his 81st birthday on July 13. The actor recently said goodbye to one of cinema's most recognizable characters, Indiana Jones in the fifth and last installment of the cherished franchise, titled 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny'. Many people questioned Ford's capacity to portray the titular character as an elderly from the minute it was made public. Ford, for his part, was putting himself into daring work like a man younger than himself. The legendary figure said that he preached to the movie's stunt performers as they helped him get off a horse as he wanted to appear old. Ford said in an interview earlier, "Leave me the f**k alone... Leave me alone, I'm an old man getting off a horse and I want it to look like that!'"
When Ford made his debut in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981), the first Indiana Jones film, he was 38 years old. He was 41 years old when 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984) was being filmed. The icon was 46 years old when 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989) was being filmed. In this movie, Sean Connery, a well-known James Bond actor, portrayed Ford's father. Ford appeared once more in 'Mystery of the Blues', 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' fifth episode of Season 2 (1993). He was 50 at the time. He was 65 years old and still performing stunts when he returned to the character of 'Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008). Ford was nearly 81 years old when 'Dial of Destiny' was released, and he still established more than credible in terms of the action and adventures.