Life is a rollercoaster journey full of ups and downs. Even a stable, happier life can suddenly turn into a nightmare for a while. The same thing happened with Mary Marquardt, the life partner and first wife of Harrison Ford, while their 15-year marriage with two children fell apart.
If you have any curiosity to take a look at the personal life of Harrison Ford, a famous American actor, then you do not need to go anywhere. In this article, I explore the life journey of his first wife, Mary Marquardt.
Let’s have a look at Mary Marquardt, the first wife of Harrison Ford, whose life suddenly took a turn after her divorce from him. Stay with me till the end of the article to unlock everything about Mary Marquardt from scratch. Here, you discover her early life and education, followed by her professional career, how she met Harrison Ford, and what caused the divorce between the duo.
Who is Mary Marquardt
Mary Marquardt is acknowledged as the first wife of legendary Hollywood actor Harrison Ford. Despite the well-documented stardom of the Hollywood actor looming large across media, his wife got limited attention, making her life journey largely untold. Born in 1945, she redefined her identity as a Former US Chef as her art and cooking interests developed since her childhood.
Quick bio table of Mary Marquardt
| Facts | Bio Details |
| Real Name | Mary Marquardt |
| Date of Birth | 1945 |
| Age | 80 Years Old (As Of 2025) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ripon College |
| Profession | Former US Chef |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Name of ex-partner | Harrison Ford |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Children | Ben Ford, Willard Ford |
| Sextuality | Straight |
| Familiar as | Harrison Ford’s First Wife |
| Alive or Not | Alive |
Her Early Life and Education
Mary Marquardt was born and brought up in the United States of America. There is not enough information available on the internet regarding her early upbringing. After schooling, she joined Ripon College in Wisconsin. She successfully earned a culinary arts degree from Ripon College.
Here she met Harrison Ford, his future husband, who was pursuing a degree in philosophy from the same college as a student. Later on, Mary provided unwavering support to Harrison during the early struggle phase of becoming an aspiring actor.
Professional career
After the completion of her graduation, she kept her prior focus on fulfilling the long-cherished dream of becoming a professional chef. Her commitment and zeal translate her dream into reality, leading her to become a successful chef. The culinary experience she had garnered gave her recognition as a chef.
Mary Marquardt’s Physical Appearance
Let’s talk about the appearance and physique of her to get an idea of what she looks like. Her 5 feet and 5 inches height with stunning blue eyes and blonde hair, giving her an undeniable attractive Physical Appearance. Let’s have a look at her height, weight, eye color, and hair color details in below tabular form.
| Height | 5 feet and 5 inches (165cm) |
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lbs) |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair color | Blonde |
How Mary Marquardt Met Harrison
The journey of 15 years of marriage, the tie of togetherness started from Ripon College in Wisconsin, where both of them met. The Oscar-nominated Harrison Ford, once selected for the 1985 film “Witness,” struggled a lot during the initial phase of his acting career to get a gig. Here’s why the name of Mary Marquardt needs to be mentioned. Her unwavering support and encouragement let Harrison Ford apply for a position in radio voice-overs.
Despite not getting the position, $150 per week contract let him enter with Columbia Pictures venture searching for promising new talent. Mary Marquardt tied the knot with Harrison Ford on June 18, 1964.
Soon after 2 years, both the couple were blessed with their first son, Benjamin Ford, on the date September 22, 1966, and three years afterwards, welcomed their second beloved child, Willard Ford, on May 14, 1969. During the phase, Harrison did not get any decent gigs in acting, but his wife managed everything as much as she could with her chef job.
How marriage turns into nightmares
While Star Wars garnered fame for Harrison Ford, the same fame eventually overshadowed their happy married life. In the year 1979, both Mary Marquardt & Harrison Ford finalized their decision for separation, while speculation spread regarding infidelity for Harrison Ford came into the media.
Media reports revealed Harrison Ford was caught in bed with another woman, allegedly mentioned by her first wife, Mary Marquardt. Some thought it was none other than screenwriter Melissa Mathison who became his wife a few years later.
Truth came up after four decades of their separation to reveal the name of the mystery woman behind, who was once found with her ex-husband in bed during their married relationship. It was none other than Carrie Fisher with whom her husband worked in Star Wars. Just before the death of Carrie Fisher, “The Princess Diarist,” a memoir, revealed the clandestine affairs between the duo for 3 months. The happy marriage between Harrison Ford and Mary Marquardt ended in divorce in 1979.
Life after divorce-diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
The life of Mary is full of obstacles that follow her path even after her divorce from Harrison Ford. She was the mother of two boys, and it was becoming an arduous matter for her to raise them with care & love.
Meanwhile, she got another hard blow from Multiple Sclerosis, an untreatable disease that directly attacks the central nervous system, bringing about a disruption of information flow between body and brain.
Is Mary further married after the separation?
After a while, divorce from her ex-husband gradually released her from the strenuous relationship stress that became better over the years. Her ex-husband tied the knot twice, with Melissa Mathison and Calista Flockhart.
Her husband’s second marriage lasted from 1983 to 2004 with Melissa Mathison, while at present, her husband has relations with Calista Flockhart as his third wife. Still, Mary Marquardt has remained single and kept herself away from media watchdog coverage.
Final words
The life of Mary Marquardt is a testament of resilience, dedication, and strength that teaches that life’s difficulties are fraught with bravery to conquer the perils of life. Despite her divorce from Harrison Ford, she maintained calmness and took care of her children with affection by not involving herself with other matrimonial relationships.
Her life is a compelling narrative of challenges that make her competent to surpass life difficulties. Her life is a lesson to all who feel their life will be shattered after their separation from a close one. It is nothing but the lesson of resilience and strength that makes everyone keep going with the flow of life’s difficulties.
