Before ‘Star Wars,' This Acclaimed Actor Worked for a Legendary Rock Band
The Doors celebrated May the Fourth, also known as "Star Wars Day," by revealing a little-known fact about a famed actor who worked with the band during their 1968 tour.
A post on the Doors official Instagram account shared photos of the band along with a pic of Harrison Ford from Star Wars. Along with the Star Wars and Doors logo, it dropped the big reveal. "Before Harrison Ford took on the iconic role of Han Solo, he was a roadie on the Doors '68 tour. He was a production assistant and camera operator."
Although that may sound like a story from a galaxy far, far away, it's not fiction. A video interview with Ford talking about the experience is on YouTube.
"I worked on a road tour film of the Doors. Went around for about a week with them on a concert tour," Ford confirmed in a vintage interview. "When it was over, I was one step away from joining a Jesuit monastery."
"I thought it was cool," he added with a laugh. "I thought it was hip." But apparently, even at his own relatively young age, Ford wasn't ready for the rock ‘n' roll lifestyle. "I couldn't keep up with those guys. It was too much."
Those guys were notoriously hard-partying singer-poet Jim Morrison, guitarist Robby Krieger, drummer John Densmore and keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
In the brief interview, Ford then went on to detail his job on tour. "I was part of the camera crew. Second camera," the actor added, before criticizing his own film-making skills. "I don't think any of it was in focus," he added with a laugh. "Not a bit of it."
https://youtube.com/shorts/PGqmU5m63gQ?si=OjmuXOKHeOMu-48L
The footage Ford shot, which included the Doors performing at the Northern California Folk Rock Festival in Bakersfield and at the Hollywood Bowl, was for the documentary titled Feast of Friends, which came out in 1969.
After his brief stint behind the camera with the Doors, Ford continued his association with the group by building some cabinets for Doors producer Paul Rothchild and for a boutique called Themis owned by Jim Morrison's girlfriend at the time, Pamela Courson.
A few years later, on July 3, 1971, Morrison was found dead by Courson in the bathtub of their apartment in Paris. He was only 27 years old.
In 1973, Ford got his big break by landing the role of Bob Falfa in American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas. The director later hired him to read lines for actors auditioning for his upcoming film, Star Wars, and ultimately cast him in his breakout role as Han Solo.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 4:38 PM.