Against the Odds: Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart’s Strong Marriage Through Adoption

When Harrison Ford started dating Calista Flockhart in 2002 they were met with a sea of skepticism due to their significant 22-year age gap.

Despite this, the ultra-private couple have gone on to forge one of the most successful marriages in Hollywood even after his previous reputation as a womanizer.

Harrison has three marriages under his belt and even had a three-month affair with Carrie Fisher while filming the first Star Wars movie in 1976 while he was married to Mary Marquardt.

But after finding love with Calista, 60, Indiana Jones icon Harrison, now 82, has settled down into a life of married bliss after they tied the knot in 2010. 

Calista and Harrison – who have a son called Liam, 24, – met at the 2002 Golden Globes, and by the following year, they were living together and Harrison announced he was ‘in love’ with her, via Hello! magazine. 

‘Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love and I think there is a potential for it at any stage of your life,’ he said at the time. 

Despite this, the ultra-private couple have gone on to forge one of the most successful marriages in Hollywood even after his previous reputation as a womanizer (seen in 2002) 

When Harrison Ford started dating Calista Flockhart in 2002 they were met with a sea of skepticism due to their significant 22-year age gap

While speaking to Reader’s Digest in 2008, Harrison – who adopted Calista’s son, Liam – spoke out about his wife’s amazing parenting. He gushed: ‘She’s the best mother in the world.’ The family is seen in 2007

‘I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn’t surprised that I did,’ added the Indiana Jones icon, who was then 60.

Calista remarked then that their age gap didn’t faze her, explaining: ‘Sometimes I even say: ‘Wow, I keep forgetting that he’s 22 years older than me”.’

She insisted: ‘It doesn’t factor into our relationship at all. I like the way he looks first thing in the morning. It’s not handsome, it’s more cute. He looks like a little boy.’

Notably, Harrison and Calista have never worked together onscreen despite having been romantically involved with one another for over two decades.

‘That’s just the circumstantial reality where we haven’t been offered something where we’d work together,’ he told Us Weekly this February, adding that he would ‘love to’ work with her.

It has previously been revealed that their initial meeting was controversial in itself. 

They first crossed paths at the awards show in 2002, but rumors later swirled that she purposely spilled wine on the actor, so that they could talk to one another – something she has vehemently denied.

And their first date was far from ordinary too, since the Ally McBeal star made her friend and costar James Marsden accompany her – which meant the three of them enjoyed an awkward dinner together before going back to Harrison’s house for some drinks.

Seen with their son Liam at his graduation in 2023 

Calista and Harrison – who have a son called Liam, 24, – met at the 2002 Golden Globes (seen), and by the following year, they were living together

Harrison was 60 and Calista was 38 when they first started dating, and many were quick to slam the unlikely pairing – but it seems keeping this marriage fairly private has meant it has stood the test of time.

Harrison was married twice before he met Calista. His first marriage was to Mary, whom he met in college.

They tied the knot in 1964, and welcomed two sons together – Benjamin in 1966 and Willard in 1969. 

But after he was propelled into the spotlight during the ’70s – thanks to his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise – a slew of cheating allegations started to make their way around the web.

Carrie later confirmed that she had a whirlwind, three-month affair with the actor while they were making the George Lucas film series, and he and Mary ultimately split in 1979.

He then went on to wed screenwriter Melissa Mathison in 1983, and together, they welcomed a son, named Malcolm, in 1987, and a daughter, named Georgia, in 1990.

But that too didn’t last, and they separated in 2000, with their divorce finalized four years later.

Calista previously remarked then that their age gap ‘doesn’t faze me. Sometimes I even say: ‘Wow, I keep forgetting that he’s 22 years older than me” 

In March 2015, Harrison got into a horrifying, near-death plane crash – when his vintage aircraft hit into an LA golf course after suffering from an engine malfunction (seen) – but Calista was by his side for all of his recovery 

That’s when Calista entered the picture. 

She and Harrison first crossed paths at the Golden Globes in 2002. At the time, he was 60 years old and she was 38, and he was still in the midst of divorcing Melissa.

While reports initially claimed that she purposely spilled her drink on the actor so that they could talk to each other, she later cleared the air on what really went down the first time that they met.

‘We were having a conversation for maybe 20 minutes before the wine spilled, and the truth is, Harrison spilled the wine,’ she told Hello! magazine.

Calista – who had just adopted her infant son, Liam – explained that they both knew who the other was, but that neither of them were looking for a relationship.

She was focused on motherhood, and ‘didn’t think’ much about their interaction. 

‘I remember loving him in Mosquito Coast, but I didn’t really think about him,’ she continued.

Even so, they eventually decided to go on a date – but it wasn’t as romantic as you might think because James acted as a third wheel.

The actor spoke out about the endeavor during an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, and he said explained that Calista had asked him to tag along.

They all had dinner together before Harrison invited her over to his house for drinks, but again, she asked if James could come too. 

‘Really?’ he recalled thinking. ‘I don’t wanna get my a** kicked by Han Solo.’ 

Harrison was 60 and Calista was 38 when they first started dating, and many were quick to slam the unlikely pairing (seen in 2003) 

He didn’t share any other details about the date, but Harrison and Calista must have hit it off, because they made their first official appearance as a couple at the 59th Venice Film Festival that September.

As soon as news hit the web that Harrison and Calista were dating, many people were outraged by their enormous 22-year age gap.

Even so, it didn’t seem to defer them. In 2003, Calista addressed their difference in age to People magazine, stating, ‘It doesn’t faze me.’

She also insisted that she was still attracted to him despite being in his late 60s, adding, ‘I like the way he looks first thing in the morning. It’s not handsome, it’s more cute. He looks like a little boy.’

During the interview, Harrison gave some rare insight into their romance, explaining that they bonded over their mutual passion for flying.

‘Calista loves to fly, and I’m thrilled because it’s so important to me and it’s the kind of thing that’s so much more fun with somebody who really enjoys it,’ he revealed.

‘[Her son] Liam loves to fly. Calista likes the process, she likes what she sees from the air, she likes seeing me happy. 

‘I think a lot of it has to do with that she loves to see me doing something that I love.’

Harrison’s first marriage was to a woman named Mary Marquardt (seen in 1977), whom he met in college. They tied the knot in 1964, but split in 1979 amid accusations that he had cheated

He then went on to wed screenwriter Melissa Mathison (seen in 2000) in 1983. But that too didn’t last, and they separated in 2000, with their divorce finalized four years later

The actor also encouraged others to not give up on looking for love.

While Calista had previously stated that their age-gap was not something that she paid attention to, she admitted during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2015 that there was one thing that made it obvious they were years apart – their stance on technology.

She revealed that Harrison was just ‘learning’ how to text and was ‘getting better,’ but that he couldn’t understand how to use emojis.

‘He says, ‘Where’d you get that picture from?” she said, referring to whenever she would use an emoji. ‘It’s really bad.’

After seven years together, Harrison got down on one knee and asked Calista to marry him on Valentine’s Day in 2009. 

The two officially became husband and wife in June 2010, during an intimate ceremony in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Harrison also legally adopted Liam. 

The pair have stayed pretty tight-lipped about their relationship over the years. However, while speaking to Reader’s Digest in 2008, Harrison spoke out about his wife’s amazing parenting.

‘She’s the best mother in the world,’ he gushed. ‘She’s a mother by choice – she adopted Liam before we met, as a single parent, which is an awesome responsibility to take. 

‘She’s devoted herself to Liam and has done a really wonderful job raising him. I’m happy to now have a part of the job.’

The actor explained that he was delighted to be raising a child again, since his kids were all mostly grown by the time they met. 

‘She’s brought a child back into my home. My youngest, other than Liam, is 17,’ he continued. 

‘It’s a wonderful opportunity to be part of a child’s growing up, which is always an endless springtime. You see the blossoming and the growing and the nurturing and the payoff.’

Then in March 2015, Harrison got into a horrifying, near-death plane crash – when his vintage aircraft hit into an LA golf course after suffering from an engine malfunction – and his wife hardly ever left his side throughout his recovery. 

‘Calista arrived at the ER shortly after Harrison. She looked concerned and stayed with Harrison until late last night,’ a source told People at the time. 

‘This morning, she drove [their son] Liam to school and then straight to the hospital. She is still at the hospital now.’

Afterwards, she reflected on the ‘really hard, scary time’ to the outlet, explaining that Harrison suffered ‘critical injuries’ and that it made them ‘appreciate every second’ they have together.

‘I think it just makes you realize once again that life can turn on a dime, and we just have to appreciate every second we’re here, because you never know,’ she said.

He later revealed that his wife told him she was never going to get into a vintage plane with him again after the crash, while admitting that it ‘was really hard on their family.’

This week Calista looked frail as she was seen on a rare solo public outing.

The star, who was snapped kissing her husband on the NYC subway in April, went make-up free and donned a trucker cap as she headed out in LA.

Flockhart looked near-unrecognizable as she swept her hair back from her face and wore a casual look of a sweater and baggy jeans over her thin frame.

She later covered up her face with a black mask.

The star was last seen on a red carpet with her Indiana Jones icon husband Ford back in October 2024. 

Last year, Calista – who is Harrison’s third wife – joked that he was ‘afraid’ of her, during an appearance on Live! With Kelly And Mark.

Shortly before, Harrison had been honored with a lifetime achievement gong at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where he praised his wife from the stage.

‘I want to thank my lovely wife, Calista Flockhart, who supports me when I need a lot of support – and I need a lot of support,’ he said.

Calista later remarked that the award was ‘an emotional thing’ and she was ‘very proud,’ as her husband’s ‘body of work is so incredible and it’s so well-deserved.’