Harrison Ford Explains Why He Returned for ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Despite a reputation that suggests he’d rather walk through glass than slog through another Hollywood junket, Harrison Ford has been surprisingly game when it comes to reprising iconic characters. Not only has Ford starred as Indiana Jones in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he’s also set to return as Rick Deckard in this falls’s Blade Runner 2049. And in each case, it would seem that Ford’s curiosity got the better of him, inspiring him to revisit some of his dynamic action heroes in the twilight of his career.
But don’t take my word for it! Earlier this week, Ford explained his reason for reuniting with Ridley Scott on the much-anticipated Blade Runner sequel. Here’s what Ford had to say during the film’s Facebook Q&A sessions (via ScreenRant):
The character is woven into the story in a way that intrigued me. There’s a very strong emotional context. The relationship between the character Deckard — that I play — and other characters is fascinating. I think it’s interesting to develop a character after a period of time — to revisit a character.
While some fans might wish that Ford would stop returning to his past roles, these comments are fairly consistent with Ford’s statements on his other franchises. When Ford agreed to do Star Wars: The Force Awakens, for example, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy praised the actor for his “incredibly collaborative” approach to the script, a refrain heard throughout Ford’s career. The actor understands why people love his iconic movies, and moreover, he’s protective of his legacy, but he’s also unafraid to return to these characters and show what happens when our heroes grow old, get weak, and even die. You see an actor taking a paycheck, I see an actor bursting the bubble on his own immortality. Good for him. It’s a bold choice for anyone to make.