Read Harrison Ford’s poignant tribute to Sean Connery, his ‘Indiana Jones’ dad

“Indiana Jones� star Harrison Ford paid tribute to his onscreen dad, Sean Connery, remembering his late costar as a “dear friend.�

Connery, perhaps best known as the original James Bond in the long-running spy-film series, costarred with Ford in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster franchise. Connery played Ford’s father, professor Henry Jones, in the franchise’s third installment, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,� affectionately calling the film’s whip-cracking protagonist “Junior.�

“He was my father…not in life…but in ‘Indy 3,’� Ford said in a statement to The Times. (The actors were only about 12 years apart in age, which reportedly made Connery initially turn down the role.)

Ford also reminisced about one of their iconic stunts in the 1989 adventure flick.

“You don’t know pleasure until someone pays you to take Sean Connery for a ride in the side car of a Russian motorcycle bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm,� added Ford, 78. “God, we had fun — if he’s in heaven, I hope they have golf courses. Rest in peace, dear friend.�

On Saturday, Connery’s family announced that the Oscar-winning Scottish actor died peacefully in his sleep at home in the Bahamas. His son said that he had been in poor health, and his widow, Micheline Roquebrune, later told the Mail on Sunday that Connery had been diagnosed with dementia, which took its toll on him. “He got his final wish to slip away without any fuss,� she said.

Ford joined a slew of actors who paid tribute to the star, including later 007s Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan.

Craig, who stars as Bond in the long-delayed “No Time to Die,� described Connery as “one of the true greats of cinema� and said that he would “be remembered as Bond and so much more.�

“He defined an era and a style. The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts; he helped create the modern blockbuster,� Craig said in a statement posted on the official James Bond Twitter account. “He will continue to influence actors and film-makers alike for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Wherever he is, I hope there is a golf course.�

On Instagram, Brosnan, who played the role in four Bond films from 1995 to 2002, said that Connery was his “greatest James Bond as a boy, and as a man who became James Bond himself.�

“You cast a long shadow of cinematic splendor that will live on forever. You led the way for us all who followed in your iconic foot steps,� Brosnan wrote. “Each man in his turn looked to you with reverence and admiration as we forged ahead with our own interpretations of the role. You were mighty in every way, as an actor and as a man, and will remain so till the end of time. Your were loved by the world, and will be missed.�

“Saturday Night Live� alum Darrell Hammond, who famously played a highly inappropriate version of the actor on the NBC sketch show, also paid his respects.