Harrison Ford reveals his secret battle with depression in his college years: 'I was more than depressed. I think I was ill'

Harrison Ford has reflected on his early struggles with mental health and finding his 'calling' through the dark times.

The Hollywood legend, 83, known for films including Blade Runner, the Indiana Jones franchise and Star Wars, appeared on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast when he said he believes he was gravely "ill".

Ford, who is married to Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart, 61, said things got better when he stumbled upon a drama class in college.

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He credits drama to "changing his life".

"I had a single room and I had classes to go to, but I rarely ventured out. I would get up out of my single bed, go to a phone, order a pizza, go back and lay down in bed until the pizza came," he said about his college years on the podcast.

"I would eat the pizza, throw the wrappers in the corner, go back to sleep. And on the rare occasion I did go to the classroom, I would often touch the door on the outside of the building, and turn around and walk back."

He candidly added: "I was more than depressed. I think I was ill. I was socially ill, psychologically not well. I never found a community at college until I accidentally – in an attempt to get my grade-point-average up – took a class called 'drama' without reading the full description of the class."

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"And so I think I simply found my place amongst storytellers... It really changed my world, changed my life."

The Hollywood star hails from Chicago and soon found his feet, and went on to land roles in some of the most iconic franchises of all time, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

He's now married to Calista Flockhart, with the pair tying the knot in 2010 in New Mexico.

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He previously touched on their bond and told People in a rare comment: "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."

"Calista likes the process, she likes what she sees from the air, she likes seeing me happy."

If you or someone you know needs support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

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Title: Harrison Ford reveals his secret battle with depression in his college years: 'I was more than depressed. I think I was ill'
Sourced From: celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/harrison-ford-depression-secret-battle-younger-years-college-ill/41dcbe38-4962-4f98-a0f4-2b5c23a11691
Published Date: Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:04:00 GMT