The first time I photographed Harrison Ford was March 2, 1982, when my colleague Elmar Biebl asked me to accompany him to deliver the Jupiter Award from the German magazine Cinema to the star of Raiders of the Lost Ark by Steven Spielberg.

Ford, who then lived in a modest house at the top of Benedict Canyon, was gracious and cooperative.

I met the legendary actor countless times as an entertainment journalist and wrote interviews for various publications.

In 1986 I spoke with Ford about The Mosquito Coast directed by Peter Weir, and I photographed him again.

In 1992 I met Harrison Ford and director Philip Noyce about Patriot Games, and wrote an article for Venice, Los Angeles Arts and Entertainment Magazine.

I wrote several interviews with Ford for Gioia, the Italian weekly.

In 1995 about Sabrina directed by Sydney Pollack.

In 1997 about The Devil’s Own with Brad Pitt.

In 1998 about Six Days, Seven Nights by Ivan Reitman.

In 1999 about Random Hearts by Pollack.

In 2003 about Hollywood Homicide by Ron Shelton.

My interviews with Harrison Ford were also published in the Italian newsweekly Epoca, the fashion monthly Marie Claire, the weekly Donna Moderna.

The last time I met Ford in person, about The Call of the Wild from the 1903 novel by Jack London, was February 14, 2020.

Here are some excerpts of what he said, while answering our thoughtful questions as journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press:

“These wild places, like the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon, give us solace and a bit of quietude in which to regain some of the composure we lose in everyday life. The water, the geology, the sky quiet our brain monkeys, in the presence of the power of nature we find almost a pre-natural instinct for calm and perspective. We understand that nature is our destiny, the source of our life, that we are not above nature, but we are a part of nature.”

“When these national monuments are opened to mining, it’s heartbreaking, but now we are seeing a generation of youngsters who are ready to vote, to make political change in the world, and they will not be denied. So I am really gratified and encouraged by that.”

“Last December I attended the United Nation Climate Change Conference in Madrid because Mike Bloomberg asked me to go, as he presented a report that made it clear that, while the Federal Government has declined to participate, the municipal and state Governments, NGO’s, corporations, individuals have stepped up climate action and we are very close to reaching the goal set by the 2015 Paris accords.”

“Decades ago, when I accidentally came into more money than I knew what to do with, I decided that I wanted to commit some of that bounty to positive things. So I became involved in Conservation International, I have been with that group for 30 years, and I am proud of the work that this organization has done, we have been at the forefront of all kinds of processes to benefit nature. But we always had one underlying principle, you cannot ask people to change and adopt more sustainable behaviors unless you give them an economic alternative to unsustainable development. We embraced partnerships with corporations that other conservation organizations wouldn’t touch, but we led them to best practices, we changed their behavior, and they influenced their customers. We have a slogan that we use to communicate, that nature doesn’t need people, people need nature to survive and to thrive. That powerful message has had a lot of adoption and I am very grateful for that.”

I spoke with Ford again, virtually in June 2023, about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. My brief text was posted on social media by VOILÀ magazine.

Harrison Ford was featured on the cover of Variety this July, right after his first Emmy nomination as supporting actor for the TV comedy series Shrinking. He was nominated to a Golden Globe for that performance in December 2024.

In the long career interview, when asked about Trump’s presidency, he said: “The pendulum swings in both directions, and it’s on a swing to the right at the moment. And, as nature dictates, it will swing back. In politics and in life, you don’t always get what you want, but you don’t get upset. They teach you that in kindergarten, but they also teach you to fight for what you think is right. Now, because we’ve been disaggregated in this way, we’re having a hard time finding commonality. But if you look at the economy, you’ll figure out where the commonality is. It’s where it always was: Rich get richer, and poor get poorer. And that ain’t exactly right.”