Harrison Ford doesn’t mince words when it comes to his work or personal life. In a new, far-ranging interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Ford spoke at length about the many projects he’s currently juggling.
Ford has been a cinema icon for decades, but he’s in the midst of a particularly busy time; this year he’ll appear in the therapeutic comedy Shrinking on Apple TV+ with Jason Segel, the Yellowstone spinoff 1923 alongside Helen Mirren on Paramount+, and the fifth entry in the long-running Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
That sounds like an awful lot, but the 80-year-old seems to be taking it in stride. According to THR, Ford said back in 2002 that he had a strict rule about only working once per year on film projects, a rule he’s now broken What changed?
“The simplest answer is probably the most truthful,” said Ford. “After two years of sitting on my ass during COVID, and waiting quite a few years for Indiana Jones to start, I had not done as much work as I wanted to and I wanted to do different things. So [Shrinking] came along, and then, very quickly after that, 1923 came along.”
Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton of the Paramount+ series 1923. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2022 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Unlike Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford seems really excited to be working in the Yellowstone universe
Ford signed for both Shrinking and 1923 without having scene any scripts, operating “on faith that the people who created the projects were going to deliver me a good script.” The roles seem pretty different: in Shrinking Ford plays a grouchy therapist, while in 1923 he plays frontier rancher Jacob Dutton. But it seems like Ford is having a blast playing both parts. “I really didn’t realize how much work 1923 was going to be, and I absolutely feel it’s worth it,” he said. “I’m excited to do another season of both.”
This is interesting news to get only days after we learned that Kevin Costner, star of the main Yellowstone show, was reportedly forcing an early end to the series because he wouldn’t commit to the amount of time required to film season 5. Ford and Costner have had an interesting relationship over the years, often being considered for the same roles; Costner even picked Ford out specifically to play the President James Marshall in 1997’s Air Force One after he passed on the film.
Ford didn’t reach out to Costner for advice about entering the Yellowstone universe. “I wanted my own singular relationship with [showrunner Taylor Sheridan] to rule my behavior and my thoughts. I didn’t want to dirty up the road with somebody else’s. I have no idea how they get along. I would assume they get along great because Kevin does a great job.”
1923 is currently in the midst of its first season, and is doing well enough that it’s already gotten a renewal order for season 2. Despite the good news, Ford insists he has no idea what to expect from the show’s next outing. “I haven’t got a fucking clue,” he replied, when pressed about how season 2 might differ from the first. But one thing’s for sure: he’ll be ready to get back out there and film it when the time comes.
Harrison Ford hits back at Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull haters: “Where are they now?”
Ford also called out fans displeased with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, which received a lot of flack when it came out in 2008.
Ford had a pretty fun response when asked about the critics. “Where are they now?”
No. I mean, [the critics] were harsh on it, but what are they doing now? I understand. But those were their rules — not [director Steven Spielberg’s and co-writer George Lucas’] rules. They were imposing their rules on what the movie should be. I don’t feel it’s necessary to address those issues. I think that everyone has a right to their opinion. The film was not as successful as we wanted it to be, perhaps. But it didn’t create an attitude or a behavior that carried over into this film.
A glance at Rotten Tomatoes or other sites is enough to know that many of those critics are still writing and reviewing movies to this day, but Ford’s point is interesting. Often we can project what we expected a movie to be into a review, sometimes to the detriment of actually appreciating what it is.
That said, Crystal Skull was a weird movie. Shia LeBouf swung through the jungle on vines with a bunch of monkeys and Cate Blanchett got her brain fried by an alien. So maybe we can all just agree to disagree.
1923 is currently airing its first season, with the finale set to hit Paramount+ on February 26. Shrinking is currently running on Apple TV+. And Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters this summer. A big year for Harrison Ford!
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