Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart: Inside Their Unshakable Marriage

Harrison Ford is nothing like Han Solo, the space loner he plays in Star Wars, as evidenced by his busy love life. The 75-year-old actor has had three marriages, one known affair with a famous costar, and a family spanning five kids and four grandchildren.

His performance alongside Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049 has shone a spotlight on his strong marriage of eight years to Calista Flockhart, who was by his side during a near-fatal experience shortly before filming.

Here’s a closer look at their romance.

When Harry Met Ally

Flockhart, 52, best known for playing the title character in hit legal drama Ally McBeal, met Ford at the 2002 Golden Globes. Flockhart’s then costar James Marsden told Playboy Magazine in 2013 that he served as her “wingman” when the pair began to date, attending dinner with the soon-to-be couple.

Besides including Marsden in their burgeoning romance, the two initially kept quiet about their relationship — possibly because at the time Ford was still legally married to his second wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison (although they’d been separated for over a year).

But Ford eventually became more vocal about their romance.

“I’m in love,” the actor told Hello! Magazine in 2003. “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. I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn’t surprised that I did.”

Popping the Question

The couple’s “romantic love” continued through seven-and-a-half years of dating before making plans to take their relationship to the next level. Ford proposed to Flockhart over Valentine’s Day weekend in 2009.

At the time the lovebirds were on a family vacation with her son Liam Flockhart. Liam, now age 16, was adopted by the actress shortly before she and Ford got together.

“Harrison and Calista are all about family life,” an insider told PEOPLE in 2015. “Their life before and after they got married is focused on Liam.”

Tying the Knot

After eight years together, Flockhart and Ford said their “I dos” in Santa Fe in June 2009. At the time Ford was in New Mexico’s capital filming Cowboys and Aliens.

The wedding attire was definitely not black-tie. The newlyweds kept it casual when they tied the knot, with Ford sporting wrangler jeans and Flockhart a casual, white sundress.

When they wed, Ford was 67 while Flockart was 45. To Flockhart, the age difference is unimportant.

“It doesn’t faze me. Sometimes I even say, ‘Wow, I keep forgetting that he’s 22 years older than me’,” she told Hello! Magazine in 2003. “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.”

For Better or For Worse

If anyone had doubted Ford and Flockhart’s devoted marriage in their early years, they certainly changed their minds by 2015. Flockhart remained by her husband’s side for days when Ford was rushed to the emergency room after a near-fatal crash in his World War II vintage plane.

After having to make an emergency landing, Ford suffered a shattered right ankle, a shattered pelvis, a broken back and a serious bump on the head.

“Calista spent most of the weekend by Harrison’s side,” a source told PEOPLE in 2015. “She arrived early every morning and returned home late every night. She was under stress.”

RELATED: Harrison Ford Set to Return to the Skies Two Weeks after Plane Crash

 

When Ford recovered from his injuries, the two were able to continue sharing their love of flying.

“My wife, who is a wonderful lady, understands my passion for aviation, she understands what it means to me and flies with me to this day,” Ford said after the crash.