Harrison Ford who will be seen in the much-awaited Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the seventh instalment of the Star Wars film series speaks about his role and comeback.
Q: Is this the first interview on Star Wars since the Jedi days?
Harrison: It’s certainly a part of almost every general interview. But specific to the Star Wars films, I probably haven’t talked about it for something like twenty-five years.
Q: When did you find out they were going to make new films?
Harrison: It was a couple years ago, but I didn’t see a script until about a year and a half ago when I started getting involved.
Q: Did you need persuading to come back?
Harrison: I had a degree of self-interest. I was very gratified when I first saw the script and thought there were some amazing ideas; interesting things to do. Then I was very excited for the opportunity to work with JJ Abrams, whom I’ve known for a long time.
Q: What did JJ Abrams tell you about his vision?
Harrison: We had discussions about development of the character and his relationship to other characters in the story. They were very interesting and encouraging conversations. Then there was some work done in respect of the questions I had or input that I had with Abrams and I was pleased with that. But I’m a ‘get on at the beginning’ and ‘off at the end’ kind of guy, so I don’t really remember the street signs along the way.
Q: Was it enjoyable to be able to give more input?
Harrison: We all had a certain amount of input once we got started. Over the course of making the Star Wars films, we worked with three different directors and each of them had a different style and different attitude towards the process. I would say that the relationship with those three different directors was different but I always felt that there was a degree of collaboration that was comfortable for everybody involved.
Q: What does JJ Abrams bring to the table as a director?
Harrison: He’s very thoughtful and very wise about human nature and the development of character and relationships. He brings a real sincerity and emotional understanding to relationships, which is something I was very pleased to see. He’s an enormously skilled filmmaker and very efficient director and producer. So it has been a real pleasure to work with him and all of the members of his team as this film has gone on.
Q: What is it like working with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega?
Harrison: They are both very engaging personalities; both in their real lives and in their screen characters. I think the audiences will be delighted to make their acquaintance and follow them through the story. They’re both very inventive and spirited presences. Their characters are very interesting and go through some interesting changes. The casting has been brilliant, in both cases.
Q: What do you hope audiences will take away from this film?
Harrison: Recognition of our common humanity and that all of us face the same kinds of problems in our lives, and that there’s hope. There’s joy in the celebration of right and wrong and in the recognition of truth that sustains us. And, they’ll have fun along the way.
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