Harrison Ford may be 82 years old, but he has no intention of retiring from acting. He’ll soon be seen in season 2 of the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, which is set to premiere on October 16th, and on February 14th we’ll get to see him play the role of President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: Brave New World. Playing Ross also involved him doing a motion capture performance, as the character transforms into Red Hulk, and Ford has described that process as “being an idiot for money.” During a new interview with GQ, Ford discussed his decision to enter the MCU and dismissed the idea that he’s a movie star.
When the interviewer brought up his Marvel work and the fact that he’ll often answer questions in ways other Marvel actors don’t, Ford said, “I mean, this is the Marvel universe and I’m just there on a weekend pass. I’m a sailor new to this town. Show me the way to go home. I understand the appeal of other kinds of films besides the kind we made in the ’80s and ’90s. I don’t have anything general to say about it. It’s the condition our condition is in, and things change and morph and go on. We’re silly if we sit around regretting the change and don’t participate. I’m participating in a new part of the business that, for me at least, I think is really producing some good experiences for an audience. I enjoy that.”
When asked how he chooses projects, he said, “It’s the quality of writing. It doesn’t matter what the genre is. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on television or in movies. It’s the writing, it’s the story, it’s the character, it’s the emotional experience for an audience or for myself. It’s people that I have some feeling that I want to work with, or it’s a quality opportunity. I suppose I should be sitting on my ass, but I actually love working.“
At the end of the interview, Ford was asked how he felt about the idea that we’re witnessing “the death of the movie star,” that there are no new movie stars stepping up to follow in the footsteps of himself, Tom Cruise, etc. He answered, “Oh, I think it’s rubbish. I don’t think the question is whether or not there are any movie stars. There’s wonderful actors coming up every day. Whether or not they become movie stars is really not the point. If movies need stars, they will find them. I’ve never understood being a movie star. I’m an actor. I tell stories. I’m part of a group of people who work together, collaborate on telling stories. I’m an assistant storyteller. That’s what I am.“
Are you looking forward to watching Harrison Ford in Shrinking season 2 and/or Captain America: Brave New World? Share your thoughts on this iconic “assistant storyteller” by leaving a comment below.
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