In an era of dwindling capital “M” movie stars,  Harrison Ford remains a beacon of timeless charisma and assured, effortless star power. In many ways, he is one of the last holdovers from a specific era of cinema, especially as more and more we see Hollywood churn out young “talent” that relies more on followings, name recognition, and pretty faces that refuse to show the toll of the world around them.

And no doubt, Ford too had a pretty face. Think no further than certain kitchen-bound photographs that seemingly make the rounds every quarter on Instagram. But even before knowing his background as a carpenter, we’d safely assume he knew how to use his hands. It’s why his most iconic heroes work so well. Because it’s not just an inverted triangle torso holding steady a thick neck and a perfectly slotted nose, he isn’t infallible. Instead, his heroes work because he’s stumbling and human. He isn’t quippy but sardonic and reactionary.

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But it isn’t just his heroes and action-packed turns that make the case for his immeasurable, enduring talent. He’s often hilarious but understands how to tap into the insidious, uglier parts of humanity, best expressed in his work with filmmaker Peter Weir. While people might know him best as a smuggling scoundrel or whip-touting archaeologist, his filmography is peppered with riches.

Here are ten of his best performances to celebrate the star who stood at the head of so many iconic, decade-defining films and franchises.

Star Wars (1977-1983)

Director: George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand
Writer: George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan, Leigh Brackett

Han Solo has become such a fixture in media that it’s easy to forget how much of a bumbling fool the character can be. He isn’t ‘cool’ incarnate. He’s roguish and devilishly good-looking but emotionally stunted. It’s what makes the character stand the test of time. Compared to today’s heroes – both in and out of Star Wars-related properties – Han Solo is decidedly flawed. Ford imbues the character with such an affable ease despite the near-constant high stakes he’s up against.

And while it’s fun to watch the action and triumphant, celebratory wins, some of Ford’s best moments are when his character is vulnerable. From being awoken in Return of the Jedi to his final standoff with his son in The Force Awakens, Ford, in his first major role, highlighted the key to making us want to follow along a hero’s journey: make him human.

Where to watch: Disney+

Indiana Jones (1981–1989)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Creator: George Lucas
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, and Jeffrey Boam

Is there ever a more relatable moment in film than the student who writes ‘love you’ on her eyelids? Harrison Ford delivers unquestionable Sex Appeal in the first three Indiana Jones films (with special notice in particular for the sweaty, ripped bodice effect of Temple of Doom) that it’s easy to forget he’s playing a nerd. Ford’s Indiana Jones is yet another iconic role for the actor and one that other, younger actors have tried (and failed) to channel in modern performances.

Once again, his effortless charisma defines the role and how it transforms and maintains consistency throughout the franchise. It showcases his range, from screwball comedy to action hero, chemistry-fueled romantic partner, and leading man. We believe his terror as much as we’re swept away in his restless physicality. And that last part truly highlights what a star Ford is. Because it’s not just that we believe in his strength as he’s punching Nazis (nice) and brawling in cockpits. From the set of his shoulders and the way of his gait, we also feel his fatigue. And that distinction, those layers, makes it more than just a costume.

Where to watch: Disney+

Blade Runner (1982)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writer: Hampton Fancher, David Peoples

As Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott’s science-fiction epic Blade Runner, Ford plays a replicant hunter who, in a brutal twist of irony, begins to fall for a replicant (while beginning to learn he may be one himself). Coming on the heels of his roguish, winsome performances as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, Deckard’s stoicism is striking in comparison. In one of the many instances where Ford demonstrates his timeless appeal, he easily dips into the film noir genre as a reserved, cynical cop facing an ever-changing world.

Ford anchors a film full of heady ideas and philosophical quandaries about what it means – what it takes – to be human. Through Deckard’s pessimism, Ford can give his usual ticks more significant meaning. His smirk and everyman’s stature signal a man out of his depth, lost to the pull of time that’s transforming him and everyone around him. Just as potent is his return to the character in Blade Runner 2049, where he can build on the film’s legacy and Deckard’s journey, his world-weary grief is all the more staggering and, yes, human.

Where to watch: Apple TV+, Fandango at Home

Witness (1985)

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Earl W. Wallace, William Kelley

Due to his overtly gruff demeanor and tendency to lean into his grumpy side, it’s easy to forget how tender and sensitive an outstanding Harrison Ford performance can be. In Peter Weir’s Witness, the first of the two films they’d collaborate on, Ford brings with him subdued vulnerability. Ford plays a detective tasked with protecting an Amish woman and her young son when he becomes a target after witnessing a brutal murder. The neo-noir genre suggests a cold detachment, but the film, aided greatly by Ford’s performance, is flooded with warmth.

Take, for instance, the sequence where Ford’s John woos Rachel (Kelly McGillis), inviting her in in front of a pair of headlights, dancing and singing to Sam Cooke. It’s such a beautifully offbeat sequence that speaks to the film’s thematic pull, the desire to find community and others to share in it. Throughout the film, Ford’s demeanor shifts and molds as his character becomes entangled in the community he seeks to protect. It remains his only Oscar nomination, and while it’s upsetting, he still only has the one; considering the longevity and prowess of his career, it was well deserved.

Where to watch: Paramount+

The Mosquito Coast (1986)

Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Paul Schrader

Despite his penchant for playing good guys, he’s shockingly well-equipped for the darker realms of the human condition. Look no further than Peter Weir’s chilling character study, Mosquito Coast. In the film, Ford plays the intelligent but egotistical Allie Fox, who drags his wife and son (Helen Mirren and River Phoenix) to a remote Caribbean Island in order to escape stifling American consumerism. However, his white savior dreams of a jungle Utopia bleed into greater resentment and narcissistic fed dreams as his tethers to his family strain over time.

Ford is so tremendous in this role because, like the layers he brings his heroes, he lets them breathe here too. We understand why Allie would be such a convincing liar and manipulator. His charm is an offensive armor that needles and provokes until he gets what he wants, believing he’s the smartest man in the room and angry at any who fails to keep up. Watching him lose control as he suffers under the weight of his own embittered self-importance is a draining yet impactful experience. Because of who he is, we want to love him. And the magic is how much we begin to loathe him as the cracks in his assembled veneer crumble.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Working Girl (1988)

Director: Mike Nichols
Writer: Kevin Wade

Ford plays a consummate second-fiddle to Melanie Griffith in the Mike Nichols drama Working Girl. Ford is loose, funny, and suave as Griffith’s love interest. While he isn’t the star of the film, he makes the case for himself as an actor who deserves more straight-out romances. Ford and Griffith share a zippy, playful chemistry that strengthens the film, even if it’s ultimately about her journey. More than most films, it reminds us that, if born only a few decades earlier, Ford would’ve been perfectly suited to Matinee Idol status, with his Cary Grant-like energy fueling his performance as Jack Trainer.

But there’s one scene in Working Girl that demonstrates the actor’s brand of humor, which is wonderfully suited to his sensibilities. With immaculate staging and direction from Nichols, Ford’s Jack strips down to change shirts in his office. The blinds in the windows open as the girls in his office hoot and holler. His laidback exasperation mixes with a playful leaning into the moment, which is yet another reminder that his charisma is boundless.

Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video

Presumed Innocent (1990)

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Writer: Alan J. Pakula and Frank Pierson

Presumed Innocent is an amalgamation of some of Ford’s greatest hits that’s made even better after the high-strung, obnoxious performance by Jake Gyllenhaal in the TV adaptation. The smooth everyman. The upholder of justice. A man who once believed he could make a difference but is now hanging on to the “shreds of his ideals.” As the lawyer Rusty, who becomes a lead suspect in the brutal murder of his ex-lover, Ford’s stoicism is utilized to dramatic effect as we wonder if he’s leading us on in his declaration of innocence. His decency is questioned, and Ford maintains that suspicion until the closing moments.

But its the cracks in that stoicism that break through the well-tailored suits that make it such an interesting performance. His grief, his lust, his rage—all of this adds to one of the actor’s best roles because it once again shows why Ford is such a tremendous, frankly, underrated actor. He adds vulnerability to roles that otherwise, in lesser hands, would be black and white.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video,

The Fugitive (1993)

Director: Andrew Davis
Writer: Jeb Stuart and David Twohy

In retrospect, it’s hard to diminish how refreshing it is to see Ford as a mainstream action star in films like The Fugitive. This might sound shocking, considering a career built on action and adventure films. But compared to today, where every single action star who isn’t Tom Cruise has a certain look (dehydrated), Ford’s appeal is all the more striking. Despite his movie star looks and strong physicality, he does have this everyman quality that makes him more relatable. It’s this that makes him so watchable in The Fugitive.

While it’s Tommy Lee Jones’s broader, swinging-for-the-fences performance that would garner an Academy Award, Ford’s grieving Richard Kimble keeps us invested in the story. Mourning the loss of his wife while having to go on the run while suspected of her murder, he must stay one step ahead during a prolonged game of cat and mouse. An empathetic performer who utilizes his eyes to convey a depth of emotion his gruff characters can’t always articulate, it’s a vulnerable performance in an action flick grounded in realism.

Where to watch: Philo, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Clark Gregg

In a film that in part understands its camp, Alfred Hitchcock-inspired nature while also succumbing to bouts of self-seriousness, Harrison Ford cuts a chilling figure as Norman Spencer. In his first strictly villainous role (and only up until Captain America: Brave New World), Ford’s insidious nature methodically reveals itself throughout this psychological thriller ghost story. It’s unsurprising that the best part of the film is the ending, once his true nature is revealed to his wife, Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer).

It makes one wish that Ford had explored darker avenues throughout his career. He weaponizes his all-American, everyman facade for something with a bitter bite. From the smaller beats where his insecurity comes through and the pitiful way in which he tries to keep his lies from overwhelming him, the pivot from our expectations makes him all the more imposing because it adds an air of unpredictability to him. His shift into cold, matter-of-fact detachment at the end is perfect as Norman’s impulses take over.

Where to watch: Paramount+

Shrinking (2023–current)

Created By: Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel, Brett Goldstein

Over the course of the last twenty years, Harrison Ford’s appearances in films have dwindled as he’s taken the backseat rather than center stage. And while certain films have highlighted the actor’s remaining magnetism, such as The Age of Adaline and 42, his foray into television is his best performance in decades. It’s not so much a surprise that Ford is funny – watch just about any of his interviews, and his cantankerous, dry delivery will shock a laugh out of you. However, seeing him in a comedy, one penned by those behind series such as Ted Lasso and Scrubs, is.

And yet he is, undoubtedly, the best part about an already strong series. Playing the wiser therapist and mentor to Jason Segel’s character, Shrinking allows him to be funny and playful in a way he’s rarely gotten to display. As Paul, he gets to demonstrate his strength as a member of an ensemble, adding a layer of warmth and familiarity. But the show also allows him to tap into a well-worn vulnerability as the character deals with Parkinson’s and the slow decline of his health. He commits fully to both the relentlessly silly and the profound as he acts as the voice of reason for the rest of the bumbling cast, who are all trying to figure themselves out.

Where to watch: Apple TV+

Don’t agree with our list or think there’s a performance we’re missing? Let us know on Bluesky at @butwhytho.net.