Film and TV is a unique industry, one that is constantly changing. Over the past few years, the streaming wars have been in full effect, and plenty of film stars have pivoted to TV as a result. This change has inspired some to discuss “the death of the movie star”, meaning that up and coming celebs are no longer in this tier of actor. Someone recently asked the great Harrison Ford about this concept, and he had a perfect, 5-word response.
Ford is definitely a bonafide movie star, with the Indiana Jones movies and Star Wars franchise (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) keeping him a household name for decades. And when asked in an interview with GQ about the “death” of the movie star, he responded by saying:
Oh, I think it’s rubbish.
As someone who has been a successful film actor for decades, Harrison Ford would know. Or at least, he thinks the conversation about being a “movie star” is silly. After all, he’s still in that category despite TV credits like Shrinking (which is streaming with an Apple TV subscription).
While Harrison Ford’s brief response was on brand for his personality as a delightful curmudgeon, in the same interview he did expand his thoughts on the idea of a movie star. As Han Solo himself put it:
I don’t think the question is whether or not there are any movie stars. There’s wonderful actors coming up every day. Whether or not they become movie stars is really not the point. If movies need stars, they will find them. I’ve never fucking understood being a movie star. I’m an actor. I tell stories. I’m part of a group of people who work together, collaborate on telling stories. I’m an assistant storyteller. That’s what I am.
What a class act. While no one could argue that Harrison Ford is indeed a movie star, he doesn’t seem to identify with that title. Instead, he’s just a storyteller who has found great success on the big screen. But as Shrinking shows, he’s not above pivoting to TV for the right project.
If there was any debate about whether or not Ford was a traditional “movie star”, it would seemingly come to an end given his role in the upcoming Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World. He’ll once again be working on a major movie franchises, taking on the role of Thaddeus Ross from the late actor William Hurt. He’s also going to reprise that role in the Thunderbolts* movie, so it’s clear that we’ll be getting plenty of Ford on the big screen.
Shrinking is airing new episodes now on Apple TV+. Be sure to check out the 2025 movie release dates to see which big screen adventures of Harrison Ford you might want to see.