Harrison Ford/Oprah Winfrey 1997

[Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] get this my guest today is a former carpenter who's made more blockbuster movies than any actor in history he starred in seven of the top 20 money-making films of all time that's why they call him the billion dollar man this is my first time meeting America's favorite good guy who saved the galaxy from the evil empire he rescued the ark and escaped from a fiery train crash now he's starring in Air Force one an action-packed thriller I saw it and let me just say this the force is definitely still with him honey please welcome Aaron [Applause] you're kind of cold I'm getting out of here how sweet thank you that's very nice they just all saw the movie okay okay you all just you just saw the movie early this this morning what you think really really what you think were you well you let me see was there anybody in the theater talking back to the screen what were you saying if you were talking back to the screen any look at okay that's good I was - I was exhausted from the film exhausted from the vote got in my car went home and thought everybody on this street was a terrorist amazing but isn't it a great film it's a great what made you choose that script I had a real I thought of all I thought people would react this way yeah thought that this was a real audience pleasing film yeah it was well made and it was more than an act you can't tell that in the script though can you yeah you can't oh yeah that's I mean sometimes it doesn't work out but that's what you're looking for you're looking for a solid place to begin you're looking for good characters you're looking for a tightly plotted movie you're looking I'm looking for a character that has a an alloy to the story I'm looking for a character who helps move the story forward because that combination of story and character is what I think really works the other thing that really works is a real strong emotional center to the film something that I can identify that that moves me and equips me to help move the audience here's a scene from Air Force One where Harrison Ford is hiding from terrorists in the baggage compartment of his presidential plane and trying to make contact with the White House this was a good scene it's with good versus you call from Air Force One this is the president engine agree to the vice president please [Music] this is the present don't cut me off this is an emergency sir president doesn't call this particular phone number so whoever you are tracing the call follow your standards security procedure damn how realistic was it because you saw the real airforce one right yeah yeah was that a part of your preparation for the film to go see the real one sure no I was lucky enough to be invited to a birthday party in Jackson for the president mm-hmm on the second summer that he visited Jackson and seated right next to the president was Glenn Close we had Oh wanted to approach for I play the vice president it was written for a woman and and Glenn Close immediately came to my mind and I think all of us agreed that she was excellent so I went up to the two of them and and asked gladden if she would be my vice president and the president if he would be kind enough to arrange a tour of his airplane and he did and he did Wow and I can say that the airplane is quite the the plane in the movie is quite accurate we've taken a few liberties glued that dramatic I loved everything I loved the set dressing I love a set there's ah I love the food room for joy I was looking oh that's orange juice is good well do you accept what do you accept films that don't have a lot of action in them I mean when they come do you look for as much action as you can find did you ever see me beat Sabrina [Applause] I think it's important for me to to be in all kinds of movies I don't want to be you know limited to one genre so I do but we think of you as the action-adventure man I do I do even though I'll I will I really like Sabrina I watched it new you see mm-hmm that's what I did New Year's Eve watch Sabrina did you yeah I'm sorry you are so cool so on Hollywood do you think do you see yourself that way just is sort of like a regular guy usually yeah I don't feel at all like a regular guy you don't know I mean I have a I have an incredibly privileged existence I'm a very lucky guy mm-hmm I don't think many people are as lucky as I am have as much effect over their own lives right and given all that I still live just like every I mean I still have suffered the same doubts and fears that everybody suffers and you know that but that's that's just being human yeah for those of you don't know this Harrison Ford doesn't live in Hollywood he lives in Jackson Hole Wyoming on 800 acres of beautiful land with uh yes there's the way I used to live there but my kids are now in school in New York and for the last couple of years I've lived in New York really yeah well I'm gonna would prefer to take that producers wrap them around little chip gesture when this is a roll as we're rolling the video of Jackson Hole [Applause] we live there every moment that we can okay when the kids are not in school in New York but now you're in New York we're gonna be in New York for another four or five days - the kids are out of school we're gonna go right to Jackson okay I read I don't know if this is true but I read that you helped to supervise the building of the houses on the land in Jackson Hole that you are going to four days from now when the children are out of school okay good I drew the buildings I worked very closely on the construction of the house house house a couple little cabins no big deal mm-hmm nice little house for my little family mm-hmm in wild in Wyoming got it did you teach yourself to be a carpenter years ago I did I was I was under contract at Columbia Pictures $150 a week and all the respect that it implies uh-huh and then under contract to Universal for two hundred and fifty dollars a week and I I was wearing out my face on episodic TV and what I really wanted to do was be in films excuse me so I decided I needed another craft to so that I didn't have to accept every single acting part that came my way just to put food on the table yeah and I had a house that I was remodeling and I had the right clothes for it mm-hmm so I went out and got a job as a carpenter the first job I had was $100,000 recording studio for Sergio Mendez in his backyard and he forgot to ask me if I had ever done it before I didn't lie to him you didn't just forgot to ask you and then you got we became like the carpenter to the stars that's what I read is that true I worked for I was very lucky in that business too because I never had to put in quarter-inch fake paneling or aluminum sliding windows or anything I lucked into a group of people that recommended me to their friends and I went from one very nice job to the next as we all know Harrison is one of the most successful actors ever many of you might not have seen the first movie he did in 1964 called dead heat on America round I happened to miss that one myself he plays the bellman take a look Robert Ellis room 72 no sir Charles Ellis room 607 sure yes sir Thanks [Applause] don't you once told all that you were never gonna make it in the business were you ever told that or immediately after I was called into the office of the guy who was he was a vice president of Columbia Pictures and his specific title was that he was head of the new talent program and he always called me kid he said coming in kid he was about five years older than I was I really resented the kid part mm-hmm he said let me tell you a story kid he said the first time Tony Curtis was ever in a movie the first time oh yeah he walked onto the set and delivered a bag of groceries you took one look at that guy and you said that's a movie star and I leaned it across the desk and I said I thought you were supposed to think that that was a grocery deliverator [Laughter] and he told me that I would never make a living in this business in that business in any business where is he now do you know he's a he's an executive at at 20th and the television Department I know that because one day maybe 15 years ago I was sitting in the commissary of twentieth having lunch and a waiter came over with a little silver tray with a card on it which I'd only seen in movies mm-hmm and I picked up the card and I looked at it and there was the name of the man who had I'd had that conversation with and I turned the card over and it said I missed my bet oh and I looked around the room and much to my pleasure I didn't know which one he was really Wow that is a good story that is a good story it's a true story and I like it even better if it's true laughter Kate Capshaw reveals what it was like to kiss Indiana Jones himself we'll be back [Applause] [Music] I'm the president of the United States [Music] Air Force one is it an action-thriller or what not only on the edge you see you'll be standing up on the chairs opening July 25th Harrison Ford recently starred opposite Brad Pitt in the devil's own and here's what they had to say about each other the man is cool all right the man is cool don't worry welcome to America he's like the son I would have had that my son would have been much cuter eyes so all the stories about trouble between the two of you not true no we had a wee little trouble with the movie I mean just pulling it all together because we started without without much of a script mhm but I never had a problem with Brad and I hope you never had a problem with me doesn't seem so yeah but the newspapers and whatever got involved in and manufacturing a crisis does it bother you what the things that are manufactured or you just are kind of removed from it or remove yourself from it it uh I talked myself out of being upset about it do you yeah cuz otherwise I'd spent a lot of time being upset we're giving it a lot of energy yeah and I you know I understand that there are more important things going on in the world and something's gonna come across a round tomorrow and just wipe it out everybody's right it's really not important but it it a lot of people remember a lot of things that should have got straightened out you know so it's just one of those things when did you know you were a movie star I don't know that I ever that I ever had an epiphany moment where I realized I was a movie star because I never liked to think of myself as a movie star I'm a I'm an actor that's what I do I don't know how you go about being a movie star what do you do when you go to work if you're a movie star there's no job for a movie there is a job for an actor and it's to help tell stories and it's to help bring people an emotional understanding of what its life to be the person that they portray that's acting yes not being a movie star yeah it isn't that the greatest part of acting I think it'd be a good actor you have to be one of the greatest empathizers to be able to take on the life of another person and make that real hmm so in a moment where you get where you're hit by the terrorists oldham you're hit and that moment there's something about being slapped that somehow makes things very real mm-hmm so in in that particular instance when you're slept in and that we saw on the screen and then that face flashes up that comes from your own truth the character's true yes and from being slapped 30 times right but ya know that absolutely because it's not just turning back yeah it's turning back with a look of defiance weight and pride uh-huh and an unwillingness to be dominated in that way right and that's the specifics of what that moment is about do you do your own stunts I do my own hair no I do physical acting yeah somebody help me I do physical acting up to the point where it becomes a stunt there are no stunts in this movie that's all physical acting oh really yeah there aren't any I could have fooled us no there's running jumping falling down there's hitting being hit uh-huh but mostly it's just rolling around there's not really stunts it's all choreographed it's like dance and and sure you get bumped and bruised and and hot and sweaty but I I like you like that 20 years ago Harrison Ford piloted his way to stardom as the smug space pirate han Solo and the blockbuster hit Star Wars test oh my god their bases are very well-hidden son do you the hole all the power the Empire can't find them you know where they are well I'm not gonna take an impossible chase across the galaxy I was paid to bring you here now you're here give me my other 5,000 there I'll be on my way you're on your own I'm on my own I'll let you off on the nearest system [Applause] I heard that you have a saying that not not that you don't say may the force be with you but you say force yourself force yourself I like that very good or sure self what is the your favorite of your movies I don't have a favorite movie okay what about the Indiana Jones series I had a great time in making those movies I had a great time really it's where they as much fun as they appeared to be or is it just as it a lot of hard work they were real hard work but but they were fun to make and they have brought people a lot of pleasure mm-hmm and ah I loved working Stephen he was a great partner and we hope to be able to do it again actually Billy another one in this series yeah would you do another did you do another Star Wars would you do another nope no the character doesn't really interest me that much and I don't think he's got as much depth as as we can bring to the character okay the future did yeah terrific yeah no fun no again we had problems with the script we didn't have enough we had we were biting and scratching huh all day long to get the script going on mm-hmm but it turned out great I'm really pleased with it we all loved it didn't we on in Genesis girlfriend signed up to play Harrison's love interest in his next movie she hadn't come out yet we'll find out what Harrison Ford thinks about that when we come back [Applause] I just with my family the president is up there with a gun to his head Harrison doesn't know this but two of his Indiana Jones co-stars had some stories about working with him first from his home in Spain Sean Connery is unbearable in fact it's rather like what happened to us in Pinewood when we had the great big scene and Indiana Jones Stephen said here we are here do you hear how she knew they were gonna play this father-son scene I said I can't believe the heat we can hardly breathe it's like a sauna I say well what are you cutting he said well just here I said all right off for the trousers Harrison turns round works me off comes his pants we played the entire father and son scene in our Underpants and here's what Harrison's Indiana Jones co-star Kate Capshaw had to say about the first onscreen kiss the first time that I kiss Harrison Ford on screen which was the only time I ever kissed Harrison Ford was in Sri Lanka I came to the set and I actually had like a little I think it was a maybe a pimple right here from all the traveling and nervousness and stuff like that and so we got ready to do the scene and Harrison said they what didn't want to he couldn't kiss me because we told Stephen that he couldn't kiss me because he thought that I had a cold sore on my mouth and so we didn't really get to kiss that damn about seven or eight days later when I was clean and fresh and perfectly antiseptic for Harrison to get kissed well then it must be true you order say it I understand no memory of that no okay okay so all the antics of the of the movie the Jones character all the way I would talk to Kate along it's the only thing she remembers do get does the idea of getting an Oscar mean anything to you would you want to get one I know you were not you were nominated for witness do they deliver you know it would be it would be nice I don't I don't think I you know I don't think I choose the kinds of projects mm-hmm that get you Oscars I'm not I don't unless interested in performance then I am in an overall kind of storytelling that I like to involve myself in so I don't think there's much chance of me getting but you came close and witness now yeah the we were I was nominated and I was very grateful for the for the attention and and I appreciate it and that's that awards don't mean that much to you though no they don't okay you're gonna soon be starring with an Haitian you know an Orion and Ellen DeGeneres is a girlfriend and how do you feel about her coming out do you think it'll affect the film you know I I don't feel one way or the other about it I she was the best person for the part she's still the best person for the part I'm really looking forward to working with her she's a very talented actress and together we we did readings which convinced Ivan that she was the one mm-hmm I have no problem well I'm glad you're saying that because I had read I'm not sure which paper but I've read it's kind of out there that you supposedly now have a problem or an issue with it give it at least bringing too much publicity to the rubbish rubbish you go see your own films when when they open not when they open III go to dailies I attend test screenings I look at the rough cuts I talked to my co-workers about it then they start striking prints and I'm out of there you out of there I'm on to the next thing I don't go back and look now so when Air Force one is opening July 25th you'll be filming this other movie within right I start beginning of July yeah well we come back we're gonna talk to Harrison Ford about that no earring he's wearing we will [Applause] [Music] I like it because it's so tiny you know I really do like it cuz it's okay I notice it so I was having lunch with my wife and and my friend Jimmy Buffett his wife and an Ed Bradley and his and his lady friend mm-hmm and we you know we're talking and I'm looking and Bradley's got an earring right Jimmy's got an earring I always wanted near him do you do I've always wanted an earring and I just never got around to it so Jimmy we started talking about and Jimmy told this story about when Bradley got his ear uh-huh and Jamie said he was having drinks with Walter Cronkite few rum cocktails on Walters boat I don't know Walter Cronkite that's why a little bit hesitant to tell the story because I wasn't there but Jimmy tells the story about about Bradley's earring was a big fuss about it because he was a newsman serious guy 60 minutes 60 minutes and so after a few round rings with Walter Jimmy says Walter what do you think about Bradley's earring and Walter said well Jimmy I said I think it's okay I think it's all right he says but if I was gonna get me one of those I'd you me I'd want one of them long dangly one [Laughter] [Applause] you said you wanted one and hadn't gotten around to it why did you want one Annie ring I just always thought they looked neat I didn't know that's all that's all you just so it doesn't mean anything no I don't know it just means you like an earring it used to mean sailors wore earrings because it meant and they only wore him if the ship if a ship that they were on went down woo now we don't have that anymore how much so I don't really know why people wear earrings except that they I guess they looked me I okay my kid asked me if he could have one he's 10 I said yeah when you're 54 okay you didn't have a favorite movie that was your own do you have a favorite technical gadget yeah yeah which would be airplane airplane airplane he flew himself here today do you have [Applause] do you have a favorite accessory yeah do you have a favorite cereal see you Harrison Floyd have a favorite cereal and it is raisin bran it's good for you it's good do you have a favorite indulgence indulgences Harrison for not anymore [Laughter] your favorite time of day early early about 6:00 a.m. okay do you have a favorite historical figure Abraham Lincoln favorite dream flying dream love that are you above the trees above the clouds I do I don't think ever above the clouds I think through the clouds through the clouds yeah okay how do you steer it happens automatically in your mind yeah okay I steer with my feet really damn little thing do you have a favorite memory I have a a couple of them I think the birth my first child favor yeah not at the birth of any of the others was less less significant but the first time that happens to you is a real whoop upside the head really yeah okay you have a favorite thing to sleep in a bed will do the movie airforce one opens July 25th coming up find out what Julia Roberts Will Smith and Mel Gibson sleep in celebrities share their favorite things back in them all that yeah [Applause]

Channel: That's Entertainment

Views: 26,202

Keywords: Harrison Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah, Interview, Air Force One

Id: cJn1FpwtK68

Length: 32min 37sec (1957 seconds)

Published: Thu May 07 2020