Before Star Wars, Harrison Ford Starred In A Panned Horror Movie

Harrison Ford is known the world over for his roles as Han Solo in the "Star Wars" saga, as the titular hero of the "Indiana Jones" franchise, and as Rick Deckard in the "Blade Runner" movies. Recently, he even entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, taking over the role of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross from the late William Hurt in "Captain America: Brave New World." Ford's acting career started in the late 1960s with an uncredited role in the crime movie "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round," and in 1973, he appeared in George Lucas' "American Graffiti," ultimately leading the director to cast Ford in "Star Wars," the role that would make his career.

While Ford has appeared in major blockbusters, becoming a household name to generations of fans, much of his work before "Star Wars" was less revered and remains largely forgotten. One such role for Ford was in a made-for-TV horror movie that came out less than a month before Han Solo changed his life forever. May 1, 1977, saw the debut of "The Possessed" on NBC. The supernatural horror followed a former Catholic priest who had returned from the dead as an exorcist, investigating a school with a possessed headmistress. Ford appeared not as the lead, but in a supporting role as a biology teacher at the school. "The Possessed" was critically panned at the time of its release and, of course, was quickly overshadowed by Ford's first appearance as Han Solo in "Star Wars" just three and a half weeks later.

"The Possessed" was originally intended to be the pilot for a horror series that never came to fruition. The series presumably would have followed James Farentino's Kevin Leahy, the film's deceased priest-turned-exorcist, explaining the peculiar supernatural setup for this character. Clearly, with "Star Wars" yet to hit screens, the film underestimated Harrison Ford's star potential. Paul Winjam, the teacher played by Ford, was killed off by fiery demonic powers partway through the film when it was revealed he had been in a romantic relationship with the possessed headmistress, as well as an inappropriate relationship with one of the school's students.

Ford's role in "The Possessed" was quickly forgotten as the actor was catapulted to new heights of success in "Star Wars" that same month. The release of George Lucas' space opera was a blockbuster event like no other. While Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker was the lead, for many, Ford's Han Solo was the standout star. The swashbuckling swagger of his space pirate proved the actor had the chops to be a Hollywood leading man. After "Star Wars," Ford would go on to play Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its sequels. Now, of course, both Indiana Jones and Star Wars are global mega franchises, and both have brought Ford's classic characters back to the big screen in recent years. It's a far cry from playing the teacher who dies in the middle of the film.