Harrison Ford at Home: 10 Photos of the Hollywood Legend’s Private Life

The Shrinking actor made furniture before making a name for himself as a blockbuster star—see the icon with his handiwork in these throwback imagesHarrison Ford was still working as a carpenter when he landed his breakout role in Star Wars.Photo: Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty ImagesWhile Harrison Ford was stepping into the roles of Han Solo and Indiana Jones in some of Hollywood’s most successful franchises, he was also quietly building an impressive real estate portfolio. After leaving his native Chicago for Tinseltown, the Emmy-nominated Shrinking actor went on to amass swanky properties across California, and later a sprawling ranch in Wyoming.Amid his growing career success, Ford remained adamant about protecting time at home. “The way it is now, I do one film a year usually,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2000. “And it leaves me just enough time to be with my family and to pursue the other interests that I have.” About his family life, he added, “I want my kids to enjoy their privacy. There is no reason why they should be dragged into this fishbowl with me.” Below, we’ve rounded up 10 photos of Ford enjoying some time outside of that fishbowl.More than an actorFord doing some cleaning at home in 1981. Photo: Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty ImagesBefore Ford became a movie star, he worked as a carpenter. As the story goes, he landed a small role in George Lucas’s 1973 film American Graffiti, which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Ford was then hired to install millwork for the entrance to Coppola’s offices. “He appealed to me,” Ford told Esquire in 2023. “I said I would do it but only at night, when no one was around, because I didn’t want to be that guy—I wanted them to think of me as an actor, which I was. I did the job.”The gig later opened the door for his role in Star Wars. “While I’m finishing up, first thing in the morning in walked George Lucas and Richard Dreyfuss to begin the process of meeting people for Star Wars,” Ford continued. “George had told our agents he wanted new faces, not the same people from American Graffiti. I was there with my tool belt on, sweeping up, said hello, chatted, and that was it. Later, I was asked by the producer to help them read lines with candidates for all the parts. Don’t know whether I read with people who were reading for Han Solo—can’t remember. I read with quite a few princesses. But there was no indication or forewarning that I might be considered for this part. It was just a favor. And then, of course, they offered me the part.”Benedict CanyonFord poolside at his Benedict Canyon home. Photo: Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty ImagesIn this 1981 photo, Ford is pictured at his home in Benedict Canyon. The barn-style abode was built in 1941, the year before he was born. According to the 1996 biography Harrison Ford: Imperfect Hero by Garry Jenkins, the actor wanted it to feel like his childhood home in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Illinois. So he filled the space with Early American furniture, polished the wooden floors, and installed new doors. What he couldn’t find in furniture shops, he crafted himself. “Everything I built is still standing,” he told Parade in 2020. “The last time that I packed up my tools to go do a movie, I had no idea I wouldn’t unpack them again. And that was Star Wars.”A star is bornFord reads in his home spa in this 1981 shot. Photo: Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty ImagesBy 1981, Ford was a bonafide movie star. He had just appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and was gearing up for the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark. In 2023, Ford reflected on his career as an actor. “I think it’s the place I feel most useful,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s what I know the most about. I lost my chops as a carpenter. I haven’t ever played fiddle. But I feel comfortable wrestling with how to make behavior out of words on a page and tell a story, and I’m still excited about the prospect of telling a story. I think this is a service occupation—telling stories. We need it. Whether it’s drawing on caves or religious tenets, we love telling stories.”Mandeville CanyonFord in 1984 in his Brentwood dwelling. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesFord was married to his second wife, the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison, from 1983 to 2004. The couple and their two children, Malcolm and Georgia, lived in Brentwood’s Mandeville Canyon neighborhood. The actor is pictured at the home in this 1984 photo; he purchased the residence the year prior for $1 million. It was originally built in 1951 and designed by architect Gerard Colcord. Located a stone’s throw from the Getty Museum, the 7,164-square-foot home featured luxe amenities including two guesthouses, a library, and a wine cellar.DIYFord is a self-taught carpenter. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesFord made several items of furniture for his Mandeville Canyon home, including tables and chairs. About his work, he once said, “Through carpentry, I fed my family and began to pick and choose from among the roles offered. I could afford to hold out until something better came along. But I never gave up my ambition to be an actor. I was frustrated but never felt defeated by my frustration.”A reluctant homemakerThe actor doing some dishes at home in the ’80s. Photo: Nancy Moran/Sygma via Getty ImagesAccording to Jenkins’s biography, neither Ford nor Mathison were particularly skilled at homemaking. “We specialize in what we call ‘meals in minutes,’” he reportedly said. But once they started entertaining famous dinner guests, like director Ridley Scott, they made more of an effort to become excellent hosts. Ford would later star in Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner.Years later, Ford reflected on his workaholic nature. “I can tell you this: If I’d been less successful, I’d probably be a better parent,” he told Esquire, later adding, “I accept my flaws and my failures—I don’t accept them, I own them. And certainly the more constant gardener is the better parent, and I’ve been out of town, up my own ass, for most of my life.”An A-list abodeFord made tables and chairs for his home when he was married to Mathison and living in Mandeville Canyon. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesFord lived in his Mandeville Canyon home for 29 years before he sold it to Kevin Reilly, former chief content officer of HBO Max, for $8.2 million in 2012. Reilly owned the house for only four years before he handed the keys to Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snapchat, who bought it for $12 million in 2016. Spiegel and his wife, the model Miranda Kerr, whom he married the following year, lived at the estate for eight years before offloading it for $16 million.The great outdoorsFord on his home’s patio in the ’80s. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesIn addition to owning a spot in California, Ford and Mathison lived in an 800-acre home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. According to Harrison Ford: Imperfect Hero, he bought a home along the Snake River for nearly $1 million. “I think we all get something set in our heads early on,” he reportedly said. “And the first time I saw Jackson Hole, I said, ‘This is the place that’s been in my mind all the time.’” He particularly loved the nature, adding, “It was about water, streams, trees, animals, a grand expression of nature—the Tetons rising sharply from a flat, high mountain plateau.” Jenkins also reported that Ford was given the option to either buy the home and a few acres of land or the entire tract. He decided to buy all the land, and later said, “It had everything I wanted.”Away from the madnessFord at home in 1984, with a whimsical sculpture posed twirling overhead. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesFord, who is pictured here in 1984 at home in Southern California, felt that few other showbusiness fixtures were venturing to set up home bases outside Tinseltown. “I don’t think anybody was doing what I did; I don’t know anybody,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Once people are established to a certain degree, they don’t have to be at a roll call in Hollywood—which is a fictional place, anyway. This is Los Angeles. We call the movie business ‘Hollywood.’ But the movie business is everywhere now. It’s in Atlanta. It’s in New Orleans. People are building studios in Montana with a big investment. The question is: How do you want to spend your life? How much freedom do you have against how much freedom do you want? Do you care if you miss roles or not? Do you want to be there for everything? I lived in Los Angeles for a long time before I left. I wanted it for my kids.”Ford’s current Los Angeles homeFord in 1984. Photo: Paul Harris/Getty ImagesFord married actor Calista Flockhart in 2010. The couple, who share a son, purchased a residence in Mandeville Canyony, the same area where the actor is pictured at home here in 1984, for $12.65 million shortly after tying the knot. The gated home sits on 13,767 square feet and features seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, six fireplaces, a backyard cottage, a wood-paneled library, a game room, and a swimming pool. The couple still owns this property, and Ford continues to split his time between California and Wyoming.Not a subscriber? 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