Entertainment3 min(s) read
Harrison Ford, 83, gives heartbreaking answer after being asked how often he thinks about death
At 83, Harrison Ford could easily have settled into a quiet retirement. Instead, the actor (whose career has spanned five decades and some of cinema’s most iconic roles) remains deeply engaged in his craft. From his role in the “Yellowstone” prequel alongside Helen Mirren to his Emmy-nominated turn in Apple TV’s Shrinking, Ford still thrives on the kind of demanding work that would tire actors half his age.
In a wide-ranging conversation on NPR's Wild Card with Rachel Martin podcast, Ford reflected on why he continues working at such a brisk pace. “I actually like to work, and I'm kind of a pain in the ass when I'm not working,” he admitted. After decades of traveling the globe for blockbuster films, he now prefers projects that allow him to stay closer to his family. “I like my family. I like my house. I like to be home, and I can be home and do this great job,” he said.
Despite his enduring fame, Ford insisted that success was never about chasing celebrity. “To make a living as an actor; that’s all I wanted,” he explained. “It wasn’t the fame and fortune. It was the work.” That perspective, he said, has kept him centered through the whirlwind of a career that placed him at the center of Hollywood’s golden era of the late ’70s and ’80s, working with directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola.
But when the conversation turned to deeper subjects, Ford’s candidness revealed a different side of the actor. Asked how often he thinks about death, Ford didn’t hesitate. “I really think about other people’s dying,” he said. “So far, I have not developed a fear of it… Everything around us is dying as well. It’s just part of nature, and I accept nature wholeheartedly.”
He acknowledged the reality of accidents (particularly as a seasoned pilot who has experienced close calls in the air) but brushed aside the idea of fearing the inevitable. “You’re supposed to die when you’re supposed to die,” he said. “It’s not ‘cause I’m tired of living. It’s just that you got to make room for other people.”
That perspective, grounded in acceptance rather than dread, fits with his lifelong philosophy. When asked what feels most like prayer to him, Ford answered without hesitation: “My prayers are to nature.” He explained that his belief system has always centered on the natural world, which he sees as possessing the same qualities often attributed to God. “Nature qualifies in all of the categories that God has been given credit for,” he said.
Though the subject matter was somber, Ford still had a sense of humor. When asked what emotion he understands best, he answered with a wry smile: “Guilt. Period. Exclamation point.” When pressed about his shortcomings as a parent and partner, he admitted to failings but insisted he has been “blessed” with more than his fair share of luck.
As he reflected on a life filled with extraordinary experiences, Ford summed it up with humility. “I’ve lived like 10 lives. I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been,” he said. For a man who once only dreamed of “making a living as an actor,” it is perhaps the most fitting legacy: one built not on fear of death, but on gratitude for life fully lived.