(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Mon 18 August 2025 5:30, UK
It took a while for the world to catch on, but it finally feels like everyone can agree that Harrison Ford is hilarious for no other reason than the fact that he’s Harrison Ford.
While he’s been in plenty of movies that liberally use humour, whether it’s a one-liner, a quickfire quip, or a light-hearted romp, he’s never tried to be funny. Ford mugging for the cameras feels like a disaster waiting to happen, with his Anchorman 2 cameo the closest he’s come to outright farce.
However, when he’s being himself, he’s very funny. Having been a star for almost 50 years, the erstwhile Indiana Jones ran out of fucks to give a long time ago, and he can always be relied on to spawn at least one meme anytime he opens his mouth, especially if someone is brave enough to mention Star Wars.
He’s even tapped that comedic vein for a small-screen resurgence, with Ford’s Paul Rhoades in the AppleTV+ dramedy Shrinking getting him on the shortlist at both the Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys in the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ category. For those keeping score, he’d never been nominated by the latter before, and it was his first time being recognised by the former in 20 years.
Clearly, Ford and comedy go hand in hand, but what makes him laugh? What does Harrison Ford do when he feels like having his ribs tickled or his sides split? This being the famously obtuse actor, he offered no hints whatsoever when that question was posed to him by Tufts Daily, but mentioning two names did indicate that those are as close to a guarantee as he’ll find.
“Well, I laugh a lot at largely inappropriate junctures, and I enjoy a good joke,” he said without divulging what he watches when he’s in desperate need of some humour. “I can’t say I could nominate anybody in particular,” he continued, before nominating two people in particular. “Steve Martin makes me laugh. Robin Williams makes me laugh.”
Not the most earth-shattering proclamation, but it’s nonetheless telling. Ford claimed that he wouldn’t single anyone out as being his go-to comedic movie, TV show, or actor, but settling on Martin and Williams would at the very least indicate they’re a sure thing for whenever the grizzled legend feels like he wants to watch something light, frothy, and most importantly, hilarious.
A little on the safe side, sure, but there are innumerable very good reasons why Martin and Williams are so beloved. Their styles are completely different, but they’re both legendary figures in the world of comedy who nobody had a bad word to say about. Whether it’s stream-of-consciousness riffing or banjo-assisted observations, Ford knows he’s getting his money’s worth from these two.
He’s definitely also seen the Judd Apatow-produced and Nicholas Stoller-directed Forgetting Sarah Marshall because he made a point of complimenting Shrinking co-star Jason Segel on his “great dick,” but being mightily impressed by someone’s penis isn’t enough to crack Ford’s list of must-see comedians. Not yet, anyway.
Related Topics