Harrison Ford, known to millions as the face of Han Solo and Indiana Jones, has starred in some of the most successful movies ever made. The Illinois native majored in philosophy at Ripon College, but left without obtaining a degree. In 1964, he moved to California to pursue an acting career. Though he landed minor roles in a number of films and television shows in the mid-1960s as a studio contract player, Ford found it difficult to make ends meet. He took carpentry jobs on the side to supplement his income, and soon gave up acting entirely or so he thought.

It was through a carpentry client that he got an audition for American Graffiti (1973). The film was a surprise smash; his role as Bob Falfa didn't get much screen time, but it gave him a shot at the part of Han Solo in George Lucas' next production, an unlikely little movie called Star Wars. The rest is box-office history.

Lest anyone think his stardom was a flash in the pan, Ford cemented his leading-man status with his turn as Indiana Jones in the phenomenally successful Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He has since explored radically diverse characters, ranging from the brooding detective of the futuristic Blade Runner to the manic inventor of The Mosquito Coast (1986). He received an Academy Award nomination for his role in Peter Weir's Witness (1985) and a Golden Globe nomination for The Fugitive (1993). His recent blockbusters include Air Force One (1997) and What Lies Beneath (2000), both of which grossed over million in the U.S. alone.

Ford was selected by People Magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive in 1998 and will next be seen in K-19: The Widowmaker (2001) with Liam Neeson. He is married to screenwriter Melissa Mathison (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Kundun) and has four children.