Mark Hamill Doesn't Think Harrison Ford's Filmography Gets The 'Credit' It Deserves

Harrison Ford has had such a long and varied career, it might be difficult to discern what he might be best known for. Many might cite the science fiction and adventure films he made in the late '70s and early '80s. Films like "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "Blade Runner." Others might be more fond of his intense, adult dramas like "Witness," "The Mosquito Coast," or "Regarding Henry." Others still might prefer his thrillers like "The Fugitive," "Patriot Games," and "Air Force One." Currently, Ford appears to be a nostalgic mood, reprising roles from his sci-fi/adventure era. 

The point being, Ford has enjoyed a great deal of texture and variation in the roles he's played over the years, and has proven time and again that he is capable of moving comfortably throughout genres. Ford tends to play confident, righteous, and forthright characters — he rarely plays sniveling creeps or sinister villains — but has proven time and again his capability at modulating his intensity and charm to perfectly fit the film he's in. Fans of a certain Ford era would do to remember that he has a filmography of nearly 60 films to explore. 

Ford's career variety has stemmed from the actor's wariness of being typecast. In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, Ford said as much out loud, saying "I always went from a movie for me to a movie for them," and that he didn't "want to work for just one audience."

Mark Hamill, Ford's co-star in several "Star Wars" films, also appreciates Ford's habit of selecting a wide range of projects. There is a parallel universe — arguably a far more boring one — wherein Ford continued to make "Star Wars" films exclusively for several decades. Hamill admires that Ford never wanted to take the easy road and stick with the successful franchise pictures. The actor would like audiences to give Ford his due, saying: 

"He doesn't get the credit for the diversity of his choices that he has chosen. [...] Everybody loves 'Indiana Jones,' but we know what it is, and we've seen it before — he could do those for the rest of his life. The fact that he is doing something more challenging and more thought-provoking is something I admire about him."

Not all of Ford's films have been entirely successful, of course. "Firewall" wasn't terribly well-received, nor was "The Devil's Own" or "Hollywood Homicide." Indeed, Ford's films tend to be less interesting the more they resemble projects he's done before. It's when he's breaking new ground that his pictures tend to draw the eye. 

Hamill, meanwhile, spent the bulk of the 1970s appearing on multiple television dramas, including the celebrated soap operas "One Life to Live" and "General Hospital." Immediately after "Star Wars," Hamill appeared in the comedy "Corvette Summer." In 1980, he appeared in Samuel Fuller's intense war drama "The Big Red One." He's made multiple horror movies, including the short "The Eye" for Tobe Hooper and "Village of the Damned" for John Carpenter. Famously, he voiced the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series," and a comedic supervillain with an unprintable name in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." 

Hamill, it seems, should also be given credit for his massive career variety.