Harrison Ford might be invincible. He just keeps getting injured, and he doesn’t let it slow him down from a long, legendary movie career. Now that he’s back playing Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, let’s take a look back at how those injuries have helped shape his career, and why his ability to bounce back from injury is only topped by Brett from Archer.
Ford’s most notable scrape took place long before he ever set foot on a film set. The scar on his chin, which was caused by a car accident back in his retail days, has been incorporated into several movie story lines, including the third Indiana Jones and Working Girl. He gained a little more character for his face, and he only had to go through a brush with death to get it.
During the filming of Indiana Jones: Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Ford was stricken with dysentery, and he could only film 10 minutes at a time. The actor revealed that this affliction impacted one of the most iconic scenes in the movie:
The scene wasn’t supposed to go like that, though — what was scripted was an epic sword vs. whip battle. What we were left with was further evidence of Indy’s badass-ness.
His next injury happened during the filming of The Fugitive when Ford tore some leg ligaments. Since he couldn’t have surgery until filming finished, his character adopted a limp. Much like DiCaprio’s bloody hand in Django Unchained, Ford used his wound to add more realism to his character. And in a movie where you’re hunting for a one-armed man, you need all the realism you can get.
While on the set of The Force Awakens, Ford was hurt yet again when he dislocated his ankle. While he had a sense of humor about it, the rest of the cast and crew was impressed by his recovery and resiliency. Director J.J. Abrams, who broke his back while trying to help Ford during the accident, even called the injury the “greatest gift” to the film.
Ford was also in horrible crash this year in his small fighter plane. He was hospital-bound post-crash, but made a full recovery, a few broken bones and a scalp laceration aside. If that happened to anyone else, they’d probably hang up the captain’s hat, but not Ford. He’s Han freakin’ Solo after all, so he’s back in the pilot’s seat. The man cannot be stopped, and he’ll probably live long enough to reprise all of his roles (fingers crossed for Blade Runner: The Search For Batty’s Gold).