Interview: Harrison Ford
From Indy to Indie
You’d think Harrison Ford might kick back and live off the back-end profits of his other 2008 movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But he still has that itch to act. Even when his new part is just one fragment of the ensemble message movie Crossing Over
By Bob Strauss
Harrison Ford came back just the way everyone wanted him to earlier this year, playing Indiana Jones after nearly two decades away from his signature role.
But will many people want to see him again so soon?
Ford’s other 2008 movie, Crossing Over, is a tough, multi-plotline drama about one of the U.S.’s most polarizing issues. The film co-stars Sean Penn, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess, Alice Braga and a variety of actors from assorted ethnic backgrounds joining together to create a dramatic narrative about immigration.
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Harrison Ford in Crossing Over
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The movie, which hits theatres later this year, scratches the
serious thespian itch that the, arguably, most successful action-movie
star of all time has picked at repeatedly for the last 35 years.
“You pays your money and you takes your choice,” Ford jokes at the
airport in Santa Monica, California, where the avid pilot keeps a tiny
office and a hangar full of his personal aircraft. “The theme of Crossing Over
is immigration. I became interested in doing something where it was an
ensemble cast, where I didn’t feel responsible for the screenplay or
the overall success of the project. I just showed up and I did my work,
which I enjoyed quite a bit.”
Yeah, but did it fulfill his higher artistic aspirations in a way that
cracking bullwhips, fighting aliens and exploring lost temples doesn’t?
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“You know, my attitude about art…,” he starts out, as if to be snide, but then thinks better of it. “There’s no difference in the creative process, whether you’re doing a film that’s an entertainment or you’re doing a film that’s serious in intent, and ambitious. The job on the set is exactly the same: give the best possible expression to the ideas contained in the scene, make it interesting, make it work. It’s the same job and it’s a job I love.”
The brainchild of writer-director Wayne Kramer (Running Scared, The Cooler), himself a transplanted South African, Crossing Over explores how a variety of migrants in Los Angeles, some there legally and some not, come to terms with the dream-challenging realities of the City of Angels. The film also shows how those charged with enforcing America’s entry and work laws cope with often trying situations, which is where Ford’s character, Max Brogan, comes in.
“He’s an Immigration and Customs agent,” the actor explains in his usual, to-the-point manner. “It’s about an issue that affects us all, so I’m interested as a citizen. I’m also interested in the economic impact and the emotional aspects of immigration reform. So I’m happy to see the subject getting attention.”
But will the downbeat film get attention? Ford has made some acclaimed dramas in his time, such as Witness, Presumed Innocent and The Mosquito Coast. But even when not working in outright fantasies like the Indy and Star Wars films or Blade Runner, most of his hits have been sold as much for their action elements as their dramatic ones.
Furthermore, until Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Ford hadn’t appeared in a major moneymaker since 2000’s What Lies Beneath. And that was a ghost story.
If he’s worried about his bankability, Ford sure doesn’t act like it. And he knows what it’s like to not make it in Hollywood. For years, he supported himself as a carpenter while waiting for acting to pay off. And when he did snag a part in those early days, it was mostly odd TV work and the occasional, minuscule role in a film classic like American Graffiti or The Conversation. That is, until Star Wars’ space cowboy Han Solo rocketed his name to the top of the A-list.
“My career didn’t start until most people give up!” Ford laughs heartily. “I didn’t make a f---in’ dime in this business until I was 35 years old!”
Although Ford, now 66 years old, looks a bit weary in Crossing Over, in person he looks more like the vital and robust Indiana Jones from Crystal Skull — impressively fresh and ready to take on anything.
“I play tennis, I ski, go to the gym three or four times a week,” Ford shrugs, adding that good genes are probably the main reason for his vital longevity.
Some things have changed, though. He’s essentially in his third family situation with partner Calista Flockhart and her son Liam (there are two kids each from Ford’s two marriages). And while some long-time interests are still pursued, others have fallen by the wayside.
“I fly a couple of times a week,” Ford notes. “I fly for travel, for pleasure; basically, any time I can find an excuse. As for carpentry, you know what? I’ve lost my chops. I still have a shop at my home in L.A. and my home in Wyoming. It’s one of the things I hope to get back into spending some time doing.”
He keeps plugging away at that other profession of his, though, long past the point where he needs to. And with the Indy reboot providing a much-appreciated career boost, he intends to keep at it for as long as he can.
“I see myself as a working actor; a lucky working actor,” Ford says. “I’ve had a chance to work with incredible people on incredible projects. It’s made me a very comfortable and interesting life, a challenging life. And I’ve had a great time.”
Bob Strauss lives in L.A. where he writes about movies and filmmakers.
Seven things you probably didn’t know about Harrison Ford
• His younger brother, Terence Ford, is a photographer and former actor who appeared on the soap operas The Young and the Restless and General Hospital
• Has a spider: Calponia harrisonfordi, and an ant: Pheidole harrisonfordi, named after him
• Played the washtub bass for the folk band The Brothers Gross while attending college
• Suffered from clinical depression in his early 20s
• Is an active member of the environmental group Conservation International
• His son, Ben Ford, is a chef who’s appeared on the TV series Iron Chef America
• Rumoured to have bought a multi-million dollar home on Bowen Island (off the coast of B.C.) with partner Calista Flockhart in 2005. Those rumours turned out to be false
—Ingrid Randoja