I am still reeling from the fact that we actually got to MEET and talk to Han Solo this past Sunday. Watching Harrison Ford in interviews on TV, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. In person, he was incredibly friendly, humble and it truly was a pleasure to meet him. I cannot always say that about some celebrities.
Especially for someone that has been in so many blockbuster movies, I mean we’re talking Indiana Jones, Han Solo and so many more. Iconic characters.
Having the opportunity to interview him was a true joy.
I will do a bit of the Q&A below but MY question for him was when he first read the Star Wars script so many years ago, if he had any concept of the legacy that this movie would become.
At first he joked around a bit, saying that he would’ve been locked up if he had come to that conclusion. But then his actual response was a very good analogy of WHY Star Wars is the legacy that it has become and his place in that legacy:
“In the context of making that first film, I did recognize both the utility of my character to the telling of the story and there might be some really strong elements that people would relate to.
“What I recognized was that I didn’t know much about Science Fiction, I didn’t care much about Science Fiction at that time and probably still don’t. Although, it gives us the chance to explore places and things that we haven’t seen before and that’s cool. What I recognized was that there is a kind of Fairy Tale structure in the characters and in the story.
“I’d seen Grimm Fairy Tales that have lasted for the last 400 years, so that was a strength that I recognized. When you have a beautiful princess and a callow youth and a wise old warrior and then me, it was easy to figure out my place in that structure.”
If you notice the action figures in front of Harrison, those were placed there by a fellow blogger (and toy collector!). One of which was Han Solo and you’ll notice, Han is face planted into the table. That was done by Harrison when he sat down 😉 I don’t think The Rock Father will ever get rid of that toy.
Seeing as it has been MANY years since Harrison was part of the Star Wars movies, a very pertinent question was if it was difficult to step back into that role (this was also one of my favorite responses):
“No, you put on those clothes. You turn around and see that guy in the Chewbacca Suit. You know what the drill is. I have walked more than a mile in those shoes and it was a familiar path. I was happy to be back.”
The class and humility was really shown in this response when he was asked if he ever collected any of the toys from the movies.
“I just don’t get caught up in the toys. I really don’t care personally. That’s for other people. This is a service occupation. Story telling is a service occupation much like being a waiter. You deliver the food. You don’t bang it on the table in front of them. You wait til the right moment, you slip it down. You keep your eyes scanning the crowd, the diners. And you are there when you see them beginning to look for you. It’s the same.
It’s a public service job and the toys are for them, they’re not for me. So it’s not about me. I’m not the customer exactly but I love working here.”
I love that he really did seem to feel that he was in a service job. I have interviewed quite a few actors over the years and hadn’t heard this before.
Next question. Do you have a favorite Star Wars memory from back then?
“No. I don’t have an anecdotal memory, I don’t have much of a memory at all. I could make something up but I’m not generally disposed to do that. I don’t come away from camp saying, ‘we all had a great time and we love each other and it’s great,’ although I could. I mean, it’s great to be back with Mark and Carrie. I spent a little time with them and Peter Mayhew and a lot of the crew, some of the older members of the crew have worked on the earlier films. But more often than that, there were sons and daughters of the people who worked on the original film and are now in the same craft business and were back to work with us.”
I will leave you with this question and answer, “In your opinion, what is the most appealing thing to Star Wars fans?”
“The breadth of the imagination that’s involved in these films. The strength and worthiness of the mythology that underpins them, the questions that it generates in our minds about our own responsibilities, our own behaviors. All of that plus, whiz and bang and flash and music and good stuff.”
Make sure you join me next week for the ‘Whiz, Bang and Flash” of Star Wars: The Force Awakens! It hits theaters on December 18.
(Photo credit to Mom Start)
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