is continuously unveiling a plethora of new films and television series — over the past forty years, the actor wasn’t even close to being the first pick to portray the film’s main character, Rick Deckard. Although he is now recognized for his iconic roles in classic films like “American Graffiti,” “Apocalypse Now,” and the two original “Star Wars” films that were released prior to “Blade Runner,” Ford had not yet risen to leading man status.
As stated in a 2012 Time article, the film’s producers examined a roster of well-known actors, including Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood, Peter Falk, Nick Nolte, Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds, Dustin Hoffman, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, once Scott and his team witnessed Ford in scenes from some initial footage of Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the choice to cast him as Deckard was unanimous, according to the movie’s producer, Michael Deeley (as reported by Los Angeles Magazine). Yet, this decision did not please everyone. As Scott recounted in a 2025 interview for GQ, “I recall my financiers saying, ‘Who the f*** is Harrison Ford?’ I told them, ‘You’re gonna find out.’ Thus, [he] became my leading man.”
Indeed, they did, along with the rest of the world, as his choice ultimately proved to be ideal, in hindsight.