Harrison Ford, America's Leading Man

Right Time, Right Place
Ford continued his carpentry work and one day was building a portico entrance to Francis Ford Coppola's Los Angeles office, where George Lucas was holding auditions for a new movie. Lucas asked Ford to help out by reading some lines. According to lore, Ford was irritated that he wasn't being asked to actually audition, and he delivered the lines with a combination of wit and sarcasm. The effect impressed Lucas, who gave him the role. His character was called Han Solo, and the movie was called Star Wars: you've probably heard of it.

Read the interview with Harrison Ford.