Happy Birthday! Harrison Ford Turns 74 Years Old

While there's a tons that fans would like to say to Harrison Ford, today, it looks like it'd be best to wish the legendary actor a very happy birthday.

As he's turning 74 today, Harrison was born back on this date in 1942 at a hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Raised by his parents Christopher and Dorothy, Harrison was their oldest child as his younger brother Terence was born in 1945. The then aspiring actor got his first taste of drama when he entered college and took an acting class during his senior year to overcome his long-held shyness.

Fans should be infinitely thankful that Harrison took the class as he did. After all, what would the film industry be like today without him? While much of Harrison's early resume finds the actor in small-time films, his eventual work on American Graffiti landed him his first starring role as Han Solo in George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy. Star Wars, of course, now stands as a pop cultural monolith that has spawned millions of fans as the franchise has essentially come to define the best of science fiction. And, recently, Harrison returned to the franchise in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as he reprised his role of everyone's favorite space pilot.

Following his role in Star Wars, Harrison solidified his acting chops by starring in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark as Indiana Jones. Again, Harrison's work with the franchise shot the actor into global fame as the adventure films scored several sequels with another film installment scheduled to release in July 2019.

Harrison has starred in other notable works such as Blade Runner, Ender's Game, Clear and Present Danger, Patriot Games, and a whole lot more. The man's filmography is extensive with his works ranging from film to TV and even video games.

Given how busy Harrison must be these days, let's all hope he enjoys his birthday today then. Congratulations, Harrison!