The Time Harrison Ford Nearly Destroyed the Millennium Falcon in a Fit of Rage

Movie sets are often a pressure cooker of emotions, and even the most seasoned stars aren’t immune to the occasional meltdown. While countless tales exist of Hollywood tempers flaring, few are quite as memorable—or bizarre—as the time Harrison Ford, in a fit of rage, took a saw to the iconic Millennium Falcon during the filming of Star Wars.

The wild story comes courtesy of Ford’s co-star Mark Hamill, who shared the anecdote during a fan Q&A with Empire magazine. When asked which co-star he had the best relationship with during the original Star Wars trilogy, Hamill didn’t hesitate: it was Ford. But he also revealed a side of the famously stoic actor few have seen.

“You heard about Harrison taking a saw to the Millennium Falcon because he got so mad?” Hamill recounted. “People were coming up to me, going, ‘You gotta stop Harrison, he’s sawing up the Falcon.’ It was made of wood, and he just took a saw to it.”

Apparently, it took Hamill himself—armed with humor rather than authority—to defuse the situation. “I love Harrison,” Hamill added. “I got to stop him because I can make him laugh when he gets really, really mad. And I had no stake in it.”

While the image of Ford hacking away at one of cinema’s most beloved starships is both shocking and hilarious, Hamill emphasized that Ford was, ironically, one of the funniest people on set. In the same interview, Hamill recalled Ford’s tendency to goof around in private, doing silly dances in his dressing room—only to immediately snap back to his trademark serious demeanor whenever someone else entered.

“He’s hilarious,” Hamill said. “I told him, ‘If you ever play anyone that’s flawed, you’ll win an Oscar.’ But he has this really specific way he wants to be seen, and I think that’s too bad because he’s really funny. He’s got a wonderfully wacky sense of humor.”

That hidden comedic streak has surfaced time and again throughout Ford’s legendary career, from the deadpan charm of Han Solo to the roguish wit of Indiana Jones. More recently, Ford has embraced his lighter side in Apple TV+’s Shrinking, where he plays a gruff but secretly soft-hearted therapist, earning praise for a performance that showcases both his dramatic heft and impeccable comic timing.

Though not all of Ford’s later projects have captured the same magic, moments like these—both on and off the screen—are reminders that behind his tough-guy exterior lies a mischievous spirit. Even if, once upon a time, it took a saw and a wooden spaceship to prove it.