By Zach Johnson
As the charming smuggler Han Solo, he made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs (and maybe shot first). As the academic adventurer Indiana Jones, he recovered the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail (briefly, at least). And soon, as venerable U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, he’ll have the entire world seeing red. In essence, Disney Legend Harrison Ford—the actor behind those beloved and iconic characters—has the range.
In an exclusive interview for the Spring 2025 digital cover story of Disney twenty-three, Ford says each role has revealed something about himself and, to a greater degree, the human experience. “We’re all made from the same common clay. It’s moment in time. It’s opportunity—all of these inexplicable, unpredictable elements, plus our own drive and search for something useful to do in life,” he explains. “All of it counts. Fantasy counts. Science counts. Reality counts. But being able to dream into and out of the world you’re living in? That’s important stuff.”
Last year, Ford was honored as a Disney Legend during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa®, a rarefied distinction that both “flattered” and “bemused” him. While delivering his acceptance speech in front of fellow Disney Legends such as Angela Bassett, James Cameron, Miley Cyrus, and Frank Oz, Ford said “nobody does anything in this business alone”—a sentiment he echoes in his interview with Disney twenty-three.
“The work that an actor, frankly, gets credit for is the work of many people who have come before him and laid in the groundwork for him to walk. The George Lucases, the Steven Spielbergs, the Kevin Feiges in my life are really responsible for the opportunities that I’ve had,” Ford says. “Their passion for the ideas they’re working with and their commitment to the craft and to the quality and integrity of their work has been fundamental to the success of my career. You don’t do this alone. You stand on the shoulders of many people.
“For instance, I’m standing on the shoulders of [the late] William Hurt, who created the character that I’m playing in this Marvel film,” Ford says of his role in Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, in theaters February 14. “I had an opportunity to see the foundations he established for the character, and it gave me a wonderful place to start with the responsibilities that I have storytelling-wise in this in this Captain America movie.”
Throughout his his decades-long career, Ford himself laid the groundwork for actors like Anthony Mackie—who plays Captain America—to become a movie star in his own right.
“I got to see the full-blown Anthony Mackie, and it is a considerable presence,” Ford says. “I’d seen him outside of the Marvel Universe, and as an actor, he’s formidable. He’s a very powerful presence onscreen. Our scenes together were scenes of conflict, in most cases; I met him on the field, so I knew the steel he was made of as an actor. But he has more than steel in his quiver: he’s got sensitivity, understanding, and intelligence about what he’s doing.”
In the Spring 2025 issue of Disney twenty-three, Mackie is equally effusive about his co-star, going so far as to say he learned “what it really means to be a movie star from Harrison Ford.” What is Ford’s reaction to hearing such a compliment? “[I feel] a mixture of embarrassment and secret pleasure,” Ford says, smiling. “I’m grateful for his words.”
Read more about Captain America: Brave New World in the Spring 2025 issue of Disney twenty-three, available soon only to Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Not a Gold Member yet? Sign up here.
