Harrison Ford’s first wife was Mary Marquardt. Although the former couple separated over three decades ago, many fans have remained curious about Marquardt.
Mary Marquardt worked with Harrison Ford while he was starting as an actor. After meeting at Rippon College in Wisconsin, she became the Hollywood star’s, undergraduate love.
They married in June 1964. However, their love for one another seemed to wane over time. Marquardt’s battle with an incurable sickness began with the dissolution of their marriage.
Marquardt and Ford’s early marriage had been difficult. Her husband was struggling to break into the entertainment world at the time.
Ford, determined to become an actor, pondered relocating to a location with more prospects. What transpired next for the couple was determined by a coin flip.
If the coin came up tails, the couple would go to New York so Ford could try his luck on Broadway. Marquardt’s spouse would try to make it in Hollywood through film and television if it landed on heads.
After the coin landed on tails, the couple relocated to New York. They reconsidered another coin flip because New York was too cold for them to stay. After all, they had previously lived in the chilly regions of midwestern America.
Marquardt, who stayed at her husband’s side, agreed with his plan to live somewhere warm. They packed all they possessed and drove to the Pacific coast in their Volkswagen bus, unsure of what lay ahead.
The pair arrived in Laguna Beach, a Los Angeles seaside hamlet. Marquardt settled in and reared their family while Ford pursued stardom. She gave birth to two sons, Benjamin and Willard.
Ford later succeeded in the entertainment industry, but his celebrity appeared to strain his marriage. Marquardt divorced Ford after 15 years of marriage in 1979.
The pair split up after Ford met screenwriter Melissa Mathison on the production of “Apocalypse Now.” Marquardt never remarried, but her ex-husband later married Mathison in 1984.
Marquardt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the late 1980s, a few years after her divorce from Ford. MS is a disease that affects the body’s central nervous system and spinal cord.
Marquardt’s sickness necessitates using a wheelchair, yet this does not prevent her from making an essential contribution to the kitchen.
Despite her ailments, she was able to raise her sons. Ben claimed in a 2017 interview that his mother kept her sickness a secret from her family because the symptoms constantly changed.
He also stated that he was oblivious to his mother’s symptoms when he was younger, and it took him some time to comprehend them completely. His mother has lived with MS for almost 35 years and has adapted to it.
Even though his mother has become accustomed to living with her sickness, Ben claims she has lost her cooking ability. Rather than abandoning cooking, she taught Ben how to cook and prepare recipes.
Marquardt’s manner of showing devotion to her loved ones, according to Ben, who is now a chef. He attributed his mother’s cooking knowledge to her. He went on to say:
“When other kids were out playing football, I was cooking in the kitchen with my parents.”
Marquardt’s sickness necessitates using a wheelchair, yet this does not prevent her from making an essential contribution to the kitchen. Ben has developed many recipes to aid persons suffering from multiple sclerosis.
Harrison Ford’s ex-wife has been open about her MS with her children, so they are aware of her condition. In exchange, Ben promoted public awareness about MS and created a #ReimagineMySelf campaign in 2017.
