Harrison Ford Reflects on Freedom and What Makes Him Happy in Jeep's Super Bowl Ad: 'A Rumination on Life' (Exclusive)

Harrison Ford has long forged his own path, both in life and as an American big-screen legend for nearly six decades.

Now, in a stirring commercial for Jeep that debuted during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 2025 on Feb. 9, the 82-year-old icon is reflecting on the value of freedom, and the importance of choosing wisely when seeking personal happiness.

"It’s just a rumination on life," Ford tells PEOPLE exclusively of the two-minute spot, titled "Owner’s Manual." "It’s about having control and choice in your own life, and it’s about assuming the responsibility for your own life."

Opening on an American flag, a sweeping vista and winding dirt road framed by a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the commercial sees Ford, rugged and speaking thoughtfully to camera. "Longest thing we ever do is live our lives," he says. "But life doesn't come with an owner’s manual... Mighta been nice, huh? But that means we get to write our own stories."

Related: Harrison Ford Talks 'Indiana Jones,' Life at 80, Legendary Career: 'Never Thought I'd Be a Leading Man' (Exclusive)

Encouraging people to conjure their own "owner’s manual" for life and happiness, the Indiana Jones and Star Wars star allows, "My friends, my family, my work make me happy." From the driver's seat of the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, with a canine named Wiley by his side, he adds: "This Jeep makes me happy... even though my name is Ford." (Asked to consider if his name had been "Harrison Jeep," Ford quips, "Then I would be making a Ford commercial.")

Invoking "general homilies" and offering a "distinctive" feel, Ford says, "I think [the ad] was inspired in the way that it was shot, the way that it was made. I was happy to be involved... It’s not the in-your-face big splash kind of Super Bowl commercial. It's a soft sell."

In truth, Ford initially turned down the gig ("You always say no at first," he says with a laugh), but reconsidered as the project evolved. One big incentive? The chance to re-team with James Mangold, who directed the spot. A current Best Director Oscar nominee for A Complete Unknown, Mangold directed Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023 and produced the star's 2020 adventure film The Call of the Wild.

The ad's creative "was refined and personalized," says Ford, and with Mangold's input, "it came out to be something that I really feel comfortable with."

At one point, Ford gives a two-finger wave from behind the wheel and says, "You don't have to be friends with someone to wave at 'em," a reference to the "Jeep Wave," or the gesture of camaraderie and acknowledgement between Jeep Wrangler owners on the road.

"We won’t always agree on which way to go," he says. "But our differences can be our strength."

The company has made big Super Bowl splashes before, producing spots starring elusive artists not known for doing commercials. Some classics include Eminem’s Emmy-winning anthem to Detroit, "Imported from Detroit," in 2011; Bill Murray's recreation of his role from Groundhog Day for a 60-second ad in 2020; and Bruce Springsteen's "The Middle" in 2021.

This year, Jeep's CEO Bob Broderdorf says they got "the guy who epitomizes adventure" when booking Ford.

“Battle-born and forged in steel in 1941, the Jeep brand has represented freedom and adventure, pushing the limits, taking on the competition and overpowering every obstacle for over 80 years,” Broderdorf says in a statement. "In film, Harrison Ford has overcome the odds and flown from one side of the galaxy to the other all in the name of it, and in real life, he's known to blaze his own trail. So yes, Ford knows a thing or two about what the Jeep brand is all about."

“As America’s Most Patriotic Brand for the last 23 years running, it only makes sense for the Jeep brand to continue to be one of the industry’s greatest creative supporters of the big game," he adds. "And there was no greater stage to have Ford admit to America just how happy Jeep makes him.”

Related: Watch Harrison Ford Reflect on His Iconic Roles, From 'Star Wars' to 'Air Force One' (Exclusive)

While Ford says doing a Super Bowl ad is "a great opportunity," he isn't paying it much mind come game day. "We're just going to be there, eating and drinkin' like everybody else," he says of focusing on the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles show-down without distraction. "I’m there to watch the game."

Ford adds, with his classic playful slyness, "I’ve seen the commercial. I know how it ends."

Next up for Ford, who stars in Shrinking on Apple TV+, is Captain America: Brave New World, opening Feb. 14, and the new season of 1923, premiering on Feb. 23.

Read the original article on People