Harrison Ford Calls This Early Role “Total Dog****”

After Star Wars came out in 1977 and became a global phenomenon, many people might’ve thought Harrison Ford was set for life. But that wasn’t quite how it went. While the movie was a massive hit, the fame didn’t instantly turn Ford or the rest of the cast into Hollywood royalty.

Instead, the film’s success was mostly credited to its groundbreaking effects and the overall magic of the Star Wars universe, not necessarily the actors. Ford had already appeared in strong films like American Graffiti and The Conversation, but his path to superstardom wasn’t as smooth as you might expect.

According to The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by J.W. Rinzler, Ford’s first big move after Star Wars was a war movie called Force 10 from Navarone, a sequel to the 1961 hit The Guns of Navarone. The original had legends like Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. The sequel? Not quite as stacked.

Ford explained why he took the part, saying: “I saw the success of the first film as an opportunity to diversify. To become known as an actor, not a person attached to Star Wars, which could have given me a beginning and an end to my career, but no middle.”

He wanted to be seen as more than just Han Solo. He looked for roles that would show he could play characters with real depth. But he quickly learned that not every opportunity was going to help him do that.

In the same book, Ford was pretty blunt about the result: “Unless you’re in a piece of total dogshit like Force 10 from Navarone in which you can’t do anything,” he said. “I ended up doing that because it was the only non-Han Solo role offered to me and, quite frankly, because they were going to give me billing above the title, second to Robert Shaw.”

Force 10 from Navarone received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 68% of 22 critics gave it a positive review, while Metacritic gave it a lower score of 42 out of 100, suggesting average or mixed opinions. Roger Ebert gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, commenting that director Guy Hamilton seemed to make the film on autopilot. Harrison Ford himself said, “It wasn’t a bad film. There were honest people involved and it was an honest effort. But it wasn’t the right thing for me to do.”

So, why take a role in a film he clearly didn’t love? Simply put, it was his only option at the time, and it gave him a shot to prove he was more than just Han Solo, even if the movie didn’t exactly help him do that.

Looking back, Ford knew the film wasn’t a highlight in his career, but he made the best of what was available. While Force 10 from Navarone wasn’t a total disaster, it certainly didn’t push him forward the way The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark would just a few years later.

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