Harrison Ford is one of the most popular actors in the world, right? He is known for iconic characters such as Han Solo in Star Ward or Indiana Jones; his talent has impacted the history of cinema. However, his participation in Blade Runner, in which he plays Rick Deckard, was a complicated chapter in his career.
Of course, the movie earned 2 Oscar awards and it’s considered a classic, but Ford’s experience during the shooting wasn’t nice. He had issues with the director Ridley Scott and with production, which made him distant from his character. Despite this, he acknowledges the historic importance of the movie. So, let’s see what happens behind the cameras and how Harrison Ford lived the experience.
Harrison Ford and his shooting
During the shooting of Blade Runner, Harrison Ford admitted he didn’t get along with Ridley Scott. According to specialized media like Fotogramas he also had issues with the script and the production process.
Ford was very clear when giving his opinion: ‘’It’s not one of my favorite movies’’. This happens for several reasons:
- Voice over: At the beginning of the shooting, he remembered the movie wouldn’t have voice over, but during the shooting he was forced to record those voice over. He considered them to be very bad and that they didn’t represent the director’s vision.
- Script: in an interview of 2023 with Vice, Ford said: “I was forced to work for these clowns who were writing one bad voice-over after another.” This made him feel frustrated and disconnected from his own character, Rick Deckard.
- Distance from the character: due to the conflicts with Scott and script changes, Ford confirmed he never really had any connection with his character. Yet, he recognizes the movie is a key piece in the history of cinema.
Blade Runner
Despite all of these issues, Harrison Ford knows the historic importance of Blade Runner. The movie is not just remembered for its narrative and visual effects, but also for how it influenced science-fiction cinema and Ford’s career. With the passage of time, Ford and Ridley Scott reconnected, maintaining a cordial relationship, showing that even with past tensions, they could respect each other’s work.
Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard again!
In 2017 Harrison Ford played Rick Deckard again in Blade Runner 2049. This time the experience was very different:
- He worked with Denis Villeneuve, a director who he agreed with in the entire script.
- Ford enjoyed his role and the production more.
- The experience was positive, very different to the original Blade Runner.
This shows how the same character can be seen and felt in different ways depending on the work environment and the relationship with the director.
Lesson learned
The story behind Blade Runner should be helpful since it shows us some lessons to learn:
- Fame does not always guarantee an easy experience: even famous actors can have issues during a shooting.
- Conflicts with the script and the director can affect the connection with the character.
- The history of cinema is built with effort and collaboration: despite everything, Blade Runner is an iconic movie that is still studied and admired.
Basically
Harrison Ford had a complicated experience during the shooting of the original Blade Runner movie, but he could later change that thanks to the main elements to have a positive experience during a shooting: a good script and a director you get along with.
So, if you are interested in the acting field, you may take Harrison Ford’s story as a guidance and forget about the idea of being famous is equal to having easy projects. Did you know about this conflict?