The actor Harrison Ford is synonymous with Indiana Jones, an archaeologist who travels searching for missing items.
This pop culture icon is most famous for his signature accessories, like a bullwhip, a fedora hat, and a leather jacket.
This year, Harrison Ford will reprise his role as the titular character in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 15 years after the last movie was released. He is 80 years old.
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably confused about how his age ties up with the rest of the story.
So, how old was Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones? We’ve done the research to give you the facts.
Age of Harrison Ford in Every Indiana Jones Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Harrison Ford’s Age: 37 years old
Indiana Jones’ Age: 37 years old
Harrison Ford was the same age as the titular character when Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the story takes place in 1936 during the build-up to World War II. [1]
Indiana Jones is a globe-trotting archaeologist searching for the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, which, as legends say, can make an entire army invincible.
Little did they know the Nazi German forces were also after the fabled item.
He pairs up with his ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood to secure the Lost Ark, which they successfully obtain.
They also discover that the Ark’s power is real. The United States government rewards them for obtaining the Ark, but they will hold it for future research.
Check out the top Indiana Jones gifts here.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Harrison Ford’s Age: 40 years old
Indiana Jones’ Age: 36 years old
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the prequel to the Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was set one year before the events of the first movie.
This movie is another Steven Spielberg classic and was released in 1984.
Here, Indiana Jones gets asked by Indian villagers to find a sacred stone that was stolen from them by the Thuggee cult.
Fun fact: This was Ke Huy Quan’s (star of Everything Everywhere All At Once) first acting role at just 12 years old!
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Harrison Ford’s Age: 45 years old
Indiana Jones’ Age: 39 years old
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was set two years after the events of the first film and was released in theaters in 1989. Harrison Ford was 45 years old when he played the character.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade takes us to its familial roots by having Indy’s father play a central role.
Henry Jones, Sr., played by Sean Connery, goes missing amidst his search for the Holy Grail, and it’s up to his son to find him.
He leaves behind a notebook containing clues of his previous activities before he vanished, which Indiana Jones uses to retrace his steps with the help of an Austrian art professor, Dr. Elsa Schneider (played by Alison Doody).
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Harrison Ford’s Age: 66 years old
Indiana Jones’ Age: 58 years old
We experience a time jump between The Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: the events in this movie happen after 18 years, in 1957.
In this movie, Indiana Jones discovers he might lose his job as an archaeology professor at Marshall College. He meets Mutt (played by Shia LaBeouf), who we later find out is his (spoiler alert!) son with ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood.
Together, they go to Peru to find his mother and the legendary Crystal Skull of Akator — but not without trouble, as the Russian Soviet is also after it. They believe it can help them conquer the world.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Harrison Ford’s Age: 80 years old
Indiana Jones’ Age: 70 years old
Harrison Ford is probably the only Hollywood octogenarian to lead an action film where his counterpart is a decade younger than him.
This film is set to be released on June 30, 2023, and is the first installment in the franchise not directed by Steven Spielberg. James Mangold, director of the critically-acclaimed film Logan, takes the lead.
The trailer shows flashback scenes of a young Indiana Jones fighting the Nazi, whose events happen sometime in 1944 after the original trilogy but before Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
So how did this happen? Harrison Ford says they used a unique de-aging technology that’s not like Photoshop but is pretty faithful. According to him, “That’s what I looked like 35 years ago.”
Of course, this didn’t come without backlash and controversy.
Hollywood critics slammed the decision to use de-aging technology and argued that they could’ve cast a younger actor for the flashback scenes instead.
But how many Indiana Jones films are there?
FAQs
How old is Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones movies?
In the Indiana Jones movies, Harrison Ford was 37, 40, 45, 66, and 80 years old.
How old was Harrison Ford when he started acting?
Harrison Ford was 26 years old when he started acting. His first gig was a per-week contract with Columbia Pictures for bit roles in their movies.
He’s living proof that you can pursue your dreams no matter what stage you might be at!
How old is Indiana Jones now?
According to Wiki, Indiana Jones was born on July 1, 1899, making him 124 years old in 2023.
In Conclusion
Indiana Jones is one of the most successful franchises of the 80s, and to this day, his character is used in many pop culture references.
Of course, the Indiana Jones persona won’t be as popular without the talented Harrison Ford, who played him since he was 37.
Today, at 80, he says that Jones is probably the most important role of his career and that playing the archaeologist/adventurer for the last time is bittersweet.
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Reference:
- https://movieweb.com/indiana-jones-iconic-movie-characters/
