Harrison Ford, America's Leading Man

Making History Together
In this so-called space opera, Ford's character, a brash intergalactic smuggler, teams up with the up-and-coming Jedi Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill, to battle the evil, totalitarian Galactic Empire. Ford's effortless swagger no doubt helped the film become, at the time, the biggest box-office hit in history. Ford's career was instantly established. He appeared in two sequels, both megahits: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Read the interview with Harrison Ford.