The Surprising Movie Harrison Ford Calls His Best Film Role

Harrison Ford is one of the most respected actors still working today. He's had a slew of iconic performances, and while some actors are lucky to get one beloved franchise, Harrison Ford has been part of several. 

Anyone off the top of their head could name multiple Ford roles from Han Solo in the "Star Wars" series to "Indiana Jones" in the movies of the same name. The list goes on with "Blade Runner," "Air Force One," "The Fugitive," and dozens of other roles. It would make sense for his favorite of all time to be any of these because we can only imagine how fun it would be to go on space adventures or dress up in a fedora, swinging a whip around.

That's what makes it so surprising to learn what his actual favorite role of all time is. In an interview initially published by Gannett News, Ford reveals that he believes his best role ever is Allie Fox in "The Mosquito Coast."

It's important to note that this interview is from 1986. Harrison Ford has had many other roles since then, and it doesn't include some of his finest work in "Presumed Innocent" and "Clear and Present Danger." Still, we'd surmise he still holds a soft spot for "The Mosquito Coast," and he indeed spoke highly of it at the time of its release.

It's easy to see why he enjoyed the character, seeing how it was such a departure from what the public knew him for doing. He mentioned, "[Allie] Fox is a love junkie of one kind or another. He requires respect and admiration from his family and everyone he meets, and he bullies his family into going along with everything. He carries the seeds of destruction within him." When looking at his other characters like Han Solo and Indiana Jones, they don't need to force others to like them. They're naturally charming, so they earn approval without even trying.

It can lead to problems, as Ford also talks about in the interview where people expect him to have the same personality as Han in real life. He explains, "I don't think people know who Harrison Ford is. They're looking for one of the characters I play. I've always considered myself a character actor." Allie Fox is an actually unlikable character; as he goes to increasingly erratic methods to get his family to stay within a jungle he's trapped them in.

It's an odd performance to choose as a favorite, but Ford's never exactly been the most conventional guy around. And his praise for the role will hopefully get a new generation of moviegoers to give it a second chance.