Credit: Far Out / Gage Skidmore
If Harrison Ford doesn’t want to talk about something, then he’ll try his hardest not to talk about it, although it’s easier said than done in some cases than others.
Nobody’s desperate to ask him about Cowboys & Aliens or Firewall, so he doesn’t have to worry about it, but the veteran knows fine well that no matter where he goes, who he’s talking to, or what he’s talking to them about, Star Wars is the elephant that fails miserably at hiding in the corner of every room.
Of course, Ford famously loathes reminiscing about his time in a galaxy far, far away, especially when stupid people ask him stupid questions. As it applies to the notorious Star Wars Holiday Special, he’s adopted a different tactic entirely: pretending George Lucas’ most embarrassing hour doesn’t exist.
However, when he’s been tasked to sell one of his movies to the general public, and he’s recently finished another production that wasn’t showered in positive buzz, things get tricky. Or they should have, since Ford did what Ford does and resolutely refused to address the subject, something he’s gotten very good at.
In 1997, the Indiana Jones icon headlined two major releases. He had a blast making Air Force One, but the downside was that The Devil’s Own was released three months previously, and he did not have a blast making that. Brad Pitt openly trashed the finished feature in public to anyone who’d listen, making it clear that there was more than a little tension between the two A-list leads.
Naturally, people were curious to know what happened, but he wouldn’t give them an inch. “It was a pleasure working with everyone on that material,” he said, referring only to the blockbuster where he tells Gary Oldman to get off his plane. “We called it Air Force Fun.”
What about The Devil’s Own, then? “No, we didn’t call that The Devil’s Fun,” he snapped. “I’m here to talk about Air Force One, not The Devil’s Own, which has… passed into showbusiness history, but it’s nice of you to give me the opportunity.” Knowing Ford and his less-than-enthusiastic demeanour, he must have been fuming.
It wouldn’t be until 2023 that the actor finally made his peace with Alan J Pakula’s crime thriller and the part he played in making the behind-the-scenes atmosphere so tetchy between himself and Pitt, explaining that “I was imposing my point of view” on the script, “and it’s fair to say that that’s what Brad felt.”
Those wounds were still fresh in the summer of ’97, which is why he wasted no time in shutting down any inquiries about the turmoil that blighted The Devil’s Own. If he didn’t have a kind word to say, he wouldn’t say anything at all.
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