After taking a break from action movies for a long time, Harrison Ford is returning with Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables 3. He talks about the changing scenario in Hollywood and his choice of films
You are making your debut in the Expendables franchise. Tell us something about the role that you will be essaying in the movieIJ
I am playing a character that is an authority figure. He is the one who creates an assignment. He manages the Expendables and he has an interesting relationship to the character Sly plays. While I am involved a little bit in the action, it’s not so much. It’s an interesting character and I didn’t know Sly before. It was fun working on my role.
This has been termed as Stallone’s pet project and he was keen on making this third installment so much so that he has even contributed in the scripting process. Comment on your experience of working with him.
I had the best time working with Sly. He’s a very talented actor who long ago won the battle of whether or not he should be taken seriously. He’s a real filmmaker.
The original choice for Max Drummer, the character played by you in Expendables, was Bruce Willis, but he had a falling out with Sly and you came in as a replacement.
You can’t replace Bruce Willis. I didn’t replace Bruce, I have played another character. Bruce said he didn’t want to do it and that’s his business, not mine and they asked me if I wanted to be on the movie and they gave me a reason that I should be.
Patrick Hughes is a young lad on the block with Sly having given him the role of director after just watching Red Hill directed by Hughes. What was your experience working with someone who was much junior than you in the industryIJ
Patrick is young but he’s also tremendously focussed and very aware person. He sees detail and recognises the opportunity that’s on the offering. I feel that his understanding of the importance of tone was extremely impressive.
A lot has been said about the new movie with it being touted as one of the best Expendables yet. However, if you had to describe the movie in a few words, what would you have to say about itIJ
It is Stallone’s version of The Avengers. We have Rocky, The Terminator, Indiana Jones, The Transporter, Mad Max, Desperado andBlade. The movie has tons of humour in it, there’s a lot of energy and action that is also involved, but at the same time it is a well phrased and controlled film.
From playing Indiana Jones in the franchise of the same name to Han Solo in Star Wars and now Max Drummer in the Expendables 3, what makes you step into the shoes of any characterIJ
It’s that I’ve been able to understand how it might be useful.. the responsibilities of the character in the telling of the overall story of the film. I see something that I can emotionally relate to in that particular character, in particular that story. But, you know that the joy of this business is having different opportunities of being able to live different lives, and have the experience of being different people. It really does multiply your life experience in a wonderful way.
Acting alongside some of the biggest names in action movie history in The Expendables would have definitely raised the competition bar for all of you. What was the atmosphere like on the sets and how did you manage to keep it togetherIJ
I have no interest in how anybody else does what they do. I don’t feel competitive with anybody else. So I think we all have to figure out ourselves the job before us and also our way. We all do our work the same way. We are part of the process of storytelling. We have to figure out what the story is and tell it in its most efficient and emotional way.
What was the one role that changed your lifeIJ The people that hung around you, the car that you drove..
Well, I packed up my carpentry tools when I was just in Star Wars and I’ve never gone back to carpentry for a living so I suppose that’s the one that changed my life.
You have earned the reputation as being a grumpy interviewee. Would like to shed some light on thatIJ
I am not grouchy. They say I am grouchy but I am not, I am sweet!
You being a veteran actor in this field, how do you think times have changed from then to now to make it big in HollywoodIJ
I don’t really know. The job market is not what it was when I graduated school. It seemed like everyone could find a place. It’s difficult now and I think that young people are a little more disconnected. I mean this virtual world that you live in and you have friends who like you at the press of a button and that you are connected to so many people without knowing them face to face induces a kind of feeling that you can do anything.