Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542650
73 S AG - A F T R A S PEC I A L IS S U E 2 0 26 S A G A F T R A .O R G dreading the prospect of a future chained to a 9-to-5 job. While majoring in philosophy and English at Ripon College in Wisconsin, Ford enrolled in a drama class in an effort to increase his GPA enough to save himself from expulsion. Since he didn't read the entire course description, he was surprised to discover he'd have to appear on stage. When talking about those college years, Ford tends to say he was a terrible student — he was thrown out of Ripon for plagiarism aer all — but this is a man who taught himself carpentry in order to secure a $100,000 recording studio construction job for Sérgio Mendes, learned to fly a plane at the age of 50 and has embodied professions ranging from archeologist to CIA director to U.S. president. Ford is a self-directed learner — a masterful one. Insight into what drives him can be found in mid-'90s Charlie Rose interviews, where he reveals his constant quest for intellectual stimulation and, when acting, sees himself as an "assistant storyteller," solving "complex intellectual problems." For Ford, it's the challenge of creating emotional weight in a story along with the PAR AMOUNT PICTURES/PHOTOFEST PAR AMOUNT PICTURES/PHOTOFEST X2 PAR AMOUNT+/PHOTOFEST From le, Raiders of the Lost Ark was the highest-grossing film of 1981 and confirmed Ford's status as a leading action star. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) was the 10th highest-grossing film of all time during its release. Ford received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a detective protecting an Amish child, played by Lukas Haas, in Witness (1985). Ford co-starred with SAG Life Achievement honoree Helen Mirren in the Paramount+ series 1923 (2022–2025).