Harrison Ford, at one point or another, has likely been the “favorite actor” of everyone we know. From “Star Wars” to “Indiana Jones” to “The Fugitive”, he’s excited us all and taken us on adventures we’d never dreamed of. He’s now starring in “Cowboys & Aliens” alongside a star-studded cast and is happier than ever to be doing the job he loves. He’s also in pretty great shape as his costar, Olivia Wilde, calls him ripped. This action star appears on the July/August cover of AARP The Magazine and opens up a bit about his job, his wife (Calista Flockhart), parenting and more. Enjoy a few highlights from that feature.
On leading man Daniel Craig in their upcoming film Cowboys & Aliens: “I give enormous credit to Daniel. He gave me the room in his movie to make a part that was probably as much fun to play as any I’ve ever had. The leading man has a special responsibility to carry the audience. I can just dodge in, and that’s wonderful.”
On reinvention and new passions: “Flying absolutely reinvented my life. When I’m flying, I’ve got to do it according to the rules, just like everybody else. … I’m not cut any slack for any other reason. I’m just another pilot. I love it.”
On his third marriage to actress Calista Flockhart: “We’d lived together for 10 years and it seemed like we were going to get along. And I love her and she wanted to get married, and I wanted to get married.”
On how his parenting getting better with age: “I had my first children when I was 24. Babies raising babies is maybe not the prettiest thing in the world to watch. I’ve learned a lot about being an appropriate father over the years.”
On his ever growing love of filmmaking: “I love acting probably more than I did before … I like working and problem-solving with people on a story.”
On box office successes and failures: “I just want to make good movies that people want to go see. I hate making movies that people don’t go to.”
Friends on Ford: “He’s authentic. The same kind of guy you see on-screen. I get into trouble when I use this expression, but Harrison is a man’s man.” – Friend and broadcast journalist, Tom Brokaw
“Harrison was in better shape than any of us. He’s ripped.” – Cowboys and Aliens actress, Olivia Wilde
“Harrison is like John Wayne in the autumn of his career. In movies like The Searchers and True Grit, Wayne was always giving a younger man a run for his money.” – Cowboys and Aliens director, Jon Favreau
