by John Wayne’s Long Shadow: How The Duke Inspired Harrison Ford’s Iconic Heroes
Harrison Ford is one of the most iconic actors of his generation, known worldwide for his roles as Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and Rick Deckard. However, many of Ford’s most beloved characters were built upon a foundation laid by one of the true legends of classic Hollywood – John Wayne. While Ford certainly brought his own talents and charisma to the roles he inhabited, the influence of “The Duke” can be seen in Ford’s embodiment of the stoic, morally upright hero that became his signature.
John Wayne came to epitomize the archetype of the American hero through his countless Westerns and war films from the 1930s through the 1960s. Standing tall in the saddle or on the battlefield, Wayne portrayed cowboys, soldiers, and lawmen who got the job done with quiet courage and conviction. Even when facing insurmountable odds, Wayne’s characters always found a way to prevail through strength of will and character over brawn alone. It was this combination of toughness, morality, and everyman charm that made Wayne the idealized symbol of American masculinity for generations.
Ford first took notice of Wayne while growing up in Chicago in the 1950s. Like many boys of the era, he was drawn in by the larger-than-life Western adventures Wayne starred in for directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks. “I loved the fact that he was never the smartest guy or the bravest guy – he just got the job done,” Ford would later say of Wayne’s appeal. This perception of the flawed yet determined hero clearly left an impression on the young Ford. After moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s to pursue acting, one of Ford’s early roles was a bit part playing a gunfighter in the 1969 spaghetti Western “A Time for Killing.” While a minor role, it showed Ford was already drawn to the Western genre so dominated by Wayne.
Ford began to break out with supporting roles in successful films like “American Graffiti” in 1973. But it was two sci-fi blockbusters in the late 1970s that truly launched Ford to superstardom and allowed him to put his own stamp on the archetype first defined by Wayne. As Han Solo in 1977’s “Star Wars,” Ford created an instantly iconic character – the roguish smuggler with a heart of gold. Like many of Wayne’s roles, Solo appeared cynical and out for himself at first. But through the course of the film, he proved himself one of the Rebellion’s most valuable fighters, driven by a strong sense of what’s right even if he wouldn’t admit it.
The following year, Ford took his embodiment of the heroic archetype to even greater heights with his career-defining role as Indiana Jones. In the fedora-wearing archaeologist, Ford channeled elements of both the cowboy and soldier roles Wayne had made legendary, but transported them to exciting 1930s global adventures. Like many of Wayne’s characters, Indy was tough and skilled but also flawed – he got scared, annoyed, and occasionally bested in fights. But through bravery, intelligence, and moral fortitude, he always prevailed in the end. The combination of action, humor, and that familiar everyman heroism in Indy made him an instant classic that has endured for generations.
Beyond embodying the archetype on screen, Ford also cited Wayne as an influence in his approach to acting and filmmaking. “He was not about acting – he was about being. It was that quality that made him so unique,” Ford said of Wayne. This philosophy of being natural and authentic clearly resonated with Ford in crafting his own iconic roles. He aimed to make characters feel lived-in and real rather than performative. Both actors understood the power of saying little but communicating so much through presence and mannerism alone.
While Ford’s characters like Solo and Indy expanded the Wayne archetype into new genres and eras, they maintained that essential American heroism at their core. Even when portraying darker characters later in his career, like Deckard in “Blade Runner,” Ford brought a sense of moral complexity rather than outright villainy. Like Wayne, he became known for roles where tough exteriors concealed inner decency. This balance of hardness and heart is what made both actors’ portrayals of heroes so compelling and enduring for audiences.
Of course, Ford was never a simple imitator – he took the archetype Wayne established and made it his own through his unique talents and the needs of each character. Where Wayne often portrayed stoic cowboys, Ford was comfortable with sarcasm and complexity that modernized these heroes. But it’s clear the foundation laid by John Wayne’s iconic roles provided a template that Ford was able to build upon and bring to new cinematic heights. In that way, the influence of “The Duke” continues to be felt in the work of Harrison Ford and countless other actors who followed in their footsteps to portray heroes on screen. While both are legends in their own right, Ford’s career serves as a testament to how one generation of artists can inspire those that come after them to find new ways of telling timeless stories.
