# In 1985, Harrison Ford wasn’t “considered a laugh riot”. It cost him a $150 million comedy classic and an Oscar nomination

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1985-harrison-ford-wasnt-considered-a-laugh-riot-it-cost-him-a-150-million-comedy-classic-and-an-oscar-nomination/
- Published: 2026-11-11T19:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T20:26:50+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/harrison-ford-wasnt-considered-laugh-riot-cost-him-oscar-nomination/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Harrison Ford was passed over for *Big*.
- Tom Hanks took the lead after several actors declined.
- The film made over $150 million and earned Hanks an Oscar nomination.

## Summary

In 1985, Harrison Ford was considered for the lead in *Big*, the comedy about a 13-year-old who wakes up in an adult’s body. Director Penny Marshall judged Ford an unsuitable fit for the role, and Tom Hanks was eventually cast instead, helping launch his career as a leading star.

The article says Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg developed the story, which Steven Spielberg initially planned to direct before stepping aside. Robert De Niro, Jeff Bridges and Dennis Quaid also passed on the role. *Big* earned more than $150 million at the box office and brought Hanks a Golden Globe and his first Academy Award nomination; whether Ford could have achieved the same remains unknown.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.