Harrison Ford Was Left Stranded In The Snow On His Way To Star Wars' Hoth Set
Harrison Ford has always been a roll-with-the-punches type of guy. He's famous for doing his own stunts, and frequently getting injured in the process. He's broken his ankle, bruised his ribs, and, on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," suffered a herniated disc while riding an elephant. While making "Raiders of the Lost Ark," he tore his ACL when he got run over by a plane. At the age of 79, he messed up his shoulder rehearsing a fight scene for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." He's basically the Evel Knievel of American movie stars.
The overriding theme of Ford's career is that nothing comes easy (he didn't even have a real acting career until he was in his thirties), and the fact that he's still plugging away it as he enters his eighties suggests he's more than okay with a little struggle. This unflappable demeanor served him well when he encountered a series of unusual traveling inconveniences while heading to the glacial Norway set of "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back."
Harrison Ford in 'Planes, Trains, Two Taxis and a Snowplow'
According to Paul Honeyford's "Harrison Ford: A Biography," the star had misgivings about being away from his family because his long-term absences had played a significant role in the break-up of his marriage. George Lucas, however, assured him that principal photography would be a relatively smooth ride this time out, so Ford bought in.
The trouble started before he could even set foot in front of a camera. After a flight from London to Oslo, Ford was to take a train to the Finse, Norway location to shoot his Hoth scenes. He got as far as Geilo, where a massive winter storm shut down all rail travel. Suddenly, Ford was thrust into a "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" situation. When two taxis failed to get him to Finse, the star was forced to hop a ride on a snowplow, which finally got him to the set.
The Hoth sequences in "The Empire Strikes Back" have always looked brutally cold, but Ford was, once again, more than happy to suffer for our entertainment. Those days are apparently coming to an end. During his appearance for the D23 panel of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" in September 2022, Ford told the adoring throng, "This is it. I will not fall down for you again." That he was able to do it at all at an age when most retirees can barely make it through 18 holes of golf is remarkable. Kick back, and enjoy the rest of the ride, Mr. Ford. You've more than earned it.