When asked a year or so ago if he had any advice for the actor they’d hire to play Han Solo, I remember Harrison Ford said something like “don’t do it”
I take issue with the idea that Ford doesn't give a shit about Han Solo. I think he does give a shit, I just think for a long time he was bitter that they didn't kill him off in Jedi like he wanted. But even still, it was clear from his TFA performance that he actually does like the character and forgot how much he loved playing him. Ford hadn't seemed so thoroughly invested in any of his performances in years.
Agreed, even his return to Indiana Jones in Crystal Skull seem lifeless, TFA was the first movie in decades he seemed like he was actually excited to play.
Yeah, exactly. In the same vein, he was fantastic in Blade Runner 2049, so I assume he also really cares about Deckard as a character.
Fun reads! http://ew.com/movies/2018/02/08/emilia-clarke-solo-a-star-wars-story Donald Glover on charming the hell out of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story'
When you're being paid $34 million for a pretty simple nostalgic tie-in role how can you not act happy. That's 56 times more than the new leads and 22 times more than Carrie Fisher ($1.5 million). If anything he was probably happy to finally kill off the character. Compare it to Blade Runner where he was constantly praising the script (calling it 'fucking awesome!').
Rich people really like making a lot more money. If he didn’t care about money it wouldn’t have taken $34 million to get him to play Han Solo again.
That may be true, but my point is that I don't think it was the money that brought such a strong performance out of him in TFA. I mean, it's pretty inarguable that there's a playfulness and energy on display in his TFA performance that we hadn't seen from Ford in years. Hence why it seems fairly clear it was coming from a place of genuine enjoyment. If he was just doing it for the paycheck I think we can all agree we would've gotten a much more workmanlike, phoned-in performance from him. Just look at the lead-up to the film's release, when everyone was speculating about which Ford we were going to get, and then look at the reaction after it came out. People were unironically calling for him to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Paycheck roles don't generate that kind of enthusiasm from any actor, let alone the notoriously irascible Harrison Ford.
http://ew.com/movies/2018/02/09/ron-howard-solo-a-star-wars-story/ Howard talked to Harrison, and he offered additional insights, and George actually visited the set for a day and made a suggestion that sounds like ended up in the film.
Doesn't mean he doesn't want the money though. A good performance just means he's a professional at his job. Yet Alec Guinness ironically receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination for a film he called "fairy-tale rubbish". Harrison probably just enjoyed the money and making the most of the fact the role was finally ending - hence him finally appearing at Star Wars Celebration for the first and only time.
Ford definitely doesn't loathe returning as much as Guinness did. Shame he never could really come around on it.
Yeah, I just think you’re wrong. And there’s more evidence supporting my position than yours. We’ve seen how Ford treats roles he doesn’t believe in/doesn’t want to do, and it isn’t very “professional.” As someone who seems to be over the whole acting thing in general, he seemed to be shockingly invested in his TFA performance. Like I said above,
It is pretty obvious that it is the money that motivated him. He was so important to the movie that his agent managed to get him a percentage of the gross. It is probably a large part of why they killed him off in the first place.
*what's going on over in the Solo thread* Oh, people arguing about motives of people they've never met or talked to ... Fun.
STAR WARS Creator George Lucas Actually Helped Direct A Short Sequence For SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY I’ve felt bad for George ever since photos were released of him eating by himself and being depressed at Fisher’s funeral, so this made me happy.
The guy got paid good money for Cowboys and Aliens too, yet he didn’t even pretend to be interested. I’m 100% with @Anthony_ But i also agree with Jason. There really is no way to know what Harrison Fords motivations are.
Yeah I mean I'm not trying to act like I know exactly what's in his head, I just mean that the evidence points toward him actually caring about that role more than it does him not caring.