Harrison Ford Turns 80: 'Star Wars' Co-Star Mark Hamill Pays Tribute

Happy 80th birthday, Harrison Ford!

The actor, who entered his ninth decade Wednesday, is one of the most beloved stars of the "Star Wars" franchise, known for his role as roguish space pirate Han Solo.

Well, his co-star and pal Mark Hamill wanted him to know he wasn't flying "solo" on his big milestone birthday. The actor, who played Luke Skywalker in the franchise, tweeted a picture of the two of them, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, on Ford's birthday. He wrote: "For Harrison: Glad to be your pal, mh."

Steven Spielberg's Amblin production company also tweeted out some nice thoughts (while getting in a plug for the next "Indiana Jones" film), writing, "It’s not the years, nor the mileage when you’ve got two fists of dynamite and a spine and spirit like Harrison Ford. A most happy birthday to one of the true movie stars of the last half-century. Harrison returns to the big screen June 30 in his signature role as Indiana Jones!"

Though Ford had appeared in films like "American Graffiti" and "The Conversation" in the early 1970s, he famously took on work as a carpenter to make ends meet after that. "Star Wars" (later called "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope") was released in 1977, and the megasuccess of the franchise changed everything.

He's since gone on to charm us in franchises like "Indiana Jones" and "Blade Runner," plus films like "Air Force One" and "The Fugitive." He's also set to join a "Yellowstone" prequel for Paramount+. Yet he only has one Oscar nomination, for 1985's "Witness."

So it's nice to see that he and Hamill can remain friends over the many films and decades they've shared together. Ford told Jake's Takes in 2020 regarding Hamill, "He’s just a really straightforward, nice guy. He’s really a sweet guy."