Harrison Ford recalls talent head telling him he had 'no future in the business' and to get Elvis...

The actor said the exec thought &34;Harrison Ford was too pretentious a name for a young man.&34; Harrison Ford recalls talent head telling him he had 'no futur

The actor said the exec thought "Harrison Ford was too pretentious a name for a young man."

Harrison Ford recalls talent head telling him he had 'no future in the business' and to get Elvis Presley haircut

The actor said the exec thought "Harrison Ford was too pretentious a name for a young man."

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at*  *with over five years of experience covering the latest in entertainment. A proud Kingston University alum, Emlyn has written about music, fandom, film, television, and awards for multiple outlets including MTV News, *Teen Vogue*, Bustle, BuzzFeed, *Paper Magazine*, Dazed, and NME. She joined EW in August 2022.

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Published on July 30, 2025 03:50PM EDT

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Harrison Ford arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount+ Series "1923" Season 2 at Harmony Gold on February 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Credit:

Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic

Harrison Ford is remembering the studio head who thought he'd never make it in Hollywood. **

The *Star Wars* alum, 83, recently reflected on his very first onscreen appearance in the 1966 film *Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round *as part of a game with *Variety*. **

"I was under contract to Columbia Pictures at the time for $150 a week, and all the respect that that implies," Ford recalled. "I was called into the office of the head of the new talent program and he told me that I had no future in the business, which was okay."

Harrison Ford, wearing a denim jacket over a blue-and-white striped shirt, United States, March 1978, Elvis Presley, circa 1955.

Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; Getty

The individual, who Ford did not name, had a few suggestions for how to better improve his chances, though. **

"He wanted me to change my name. He thought that Harrison Ford was too pretentious a name for a young man, and then he asked me to get my hair cut like Elvis Presley," Ford said. "That I didn't go along with."

***Sign up for **'s free daily newsletter* *to get breaking news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.*****

Ford, naturally, "didn't last that long" at the gig. He added, "I lasted about a year and a half of a seven-year contract." **

The executive ended up eating his words when he and Ford eventually crossed paths again. "I met him later across a crowded room," Ford said. "He had sent me a card on which he had written, 'I missed my guess.' And I looked around and couldn't remember which one he was but then he nodded at me and smiled and I thought, 'Oh, yeah, I know you.'"

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Ford previously claimed in a 2023 episode of the *Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend *podcast that Columbia Pictures executive Jerry Tokofsky was the person who suggested that he change his name and look. **

"He was about four years older than me, he always called me boy," he recalled of the filmmaker. When asked if he ever actually came up with an alternate name, Ford deadpanned, "Yeah, Jerry Tokofsky." **

He continued, "I did come back the next day. I was not only supposed to come back with a name, but I was supposed to be there earlier than my naming conference to get a haircut. And I'd been given a picture of Elvis Presley to take with me to the studio barber." **

Ford confirmed that he "didn't get the haircut," but did return with another name. "I said, 'My new name is Kurt Affair,'" he said. "It's an Irish-German name."

He also explained that Tokofsky notified him that he was going to suggest the company terminate his contract and give him "two weeks pay" because his wife at the time, Mary Marquardt, was pregnant.  **

"I said, 'No, that's fine. Goodbye,'" Ford recalled "And I was out. That was it." **

When asked by O'Brien why he didn't take the cash, Ford replied, "…That was stupid, wasn't it?"

Watch Harrison reflect on the moment — and share anecdotes from the *Star Wars Holiday Special, Blade Runner*, and more – in the video above.

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