Harrison Ford Is Having A Moment And We Should All Enjoy It
Last night at the Super Bowl, Harrison Ford starred in one of the less flashy but more thought-provoking commercials. In a two-minute Jeep spot called “Owner’s Manual,” Ford speaks with introspection about life, freedom, and how you regard your fellow Americans.
Speaking to us from a mountain cabin, he looks at the camera and says, “Life doesn’t come with an owner’s manual… Mighta been nice, huh? But that means we get to write our own stories.” Later on, he says, “You don’t have to be friends with someone to wave at them. We won’t always agree on which way to go, but our differences can be our strength.” It’s reminiscent of similar gravitas-filled Super Bowl commercials from recent years featuring other rugged American icons, Clint Eastwood (“It’s Halftime”) and Bruce Springsteen (“The Middle”).
Ford’s Jeep commercial comes at an unusually busy time for the octogenarian actor. Over the past decade, he’s revisited some of his most popular roles: Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise (2015’s The Force Awakens), Indiana Jones (in last year’s lackluster Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), and Rick Deckard (2017’s Blade Runner 2049). No one could fault him for returning to the roles that made him an American icon.
But it’s exciting that Ford, 82, is playing some great new characters these days as well. This weekend, we’ll see his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ford is taking over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: Brave New World; the role had previously been played by William Hurt, who tragically died in 2022 at age 71. In this film, Ross is now the President of the United States and has a somewhat contentious relationship with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, the new Captain Ameirca.
(It’s not the first time Ford has played a POTUS either; he played the fictional President James Marshall in 1997’s Air Force One. You might remember the classic “Get off my plane!” moment.)
Ford’s “Thunderbolt” Ross character also becomes the “Red Hulk” that we’ve seen in the trailers and is likely to be a part of the next few MCU films. The actor has traditionally been a bit salty when it comes to being part of big franchises, but according to Anthony Mackie, Ford was more than gracious on set. In a recent interview, he recalled, “When he got to set, he pulled me aside, and he was like, ‘Hey kid,’ – I’m 46 years old. He goes, ‘Hey kid, this is your movie. I’m here to support you. And I’m here to make sure after this movie comes out, everyone knows your name.’ And there are a lot of people on his level that would not do that.” Beneath his gruff exterior, Ford seems like he’s just a good dude.
He’s also a part of another “connected universe.” Ford co-stars with Helen Mirren in 1923 on Paramount Plus, a prequel to the Yellowstone series and a sequel to 1883. Season two of 1923 starts on February 23.
Somewhat lower key is his role in another TV series, Shrinking on Apple TV+. In that show, he plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, a senior therapist and the boss of two younger therapists, Jimmy (Jason Segel) and Gaby (Jessica Williams). Paul is very Harrison Ford-like, but that isn’t to say that it isn’t an incredible performance. I haven’t seen everything that Ford has been in, but I’ve grown up on his films: the Star Wars franchise, the Indiana Jones franchise, Blade Runner, the Jack Ryan films, and The Fugitive are all important to me. I’ve often been thrilled by his characters, and I’ve laughed with them, but I’ve never been as moved by him as I have been in Shrinking. In the show, his character struggles with the bad decisions he’s made; he also struggles with Parkinson’s disease. It’s a truly extraordinary role and maybe the best one he’s ever played.
Ford is known to be a bit jaded when it comes to promoting his projects, so it was a surprise when he showed up at a SAG-AFTRA nomination committee Q&A event in December to talk about the show. During the event, he said (per Variety), “People… come up to me and say something about the show. And then I get to say something… and then they turn around and walk away. They do not want a picture. They do not want an autograph. They do not want to do anything,” he said, insinuating that this is very different from the behavior of, say, Star Wars fans. “They just want to communicate that this means something to them. And it’s an extraordinary experience in my life. That is a real thing. And it means the world to me.”
He also said, “I had never done anything like this before, and it was like suddenly recognizing what I’ve always wanted [acting] to be.”
We should all be so lucky to find new things about doing what we love at 80 (or even 40). If his Jeep commercial reminded you why Harrison Ford is so beloved, check out Shrinking and be inspired as you watch an American icon hitting new peaks.
