Released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on May 23rd is one of the surprise hits, both critically and commercially thins year, MORNING GLORY. The film is set in the wonderful world of breakfast television and Harrison Ford plays the news anchor. We caught up with him to talk about the movie.
Q: Hi Harrison. You have been making movies for more than 45 years and in your latest film, Morning Glory, you are great as respected newsman Mike Pomeroy. What keeps you fresh and keen to keep making films?
A: There’s money involved (laughs)
Q: Oh come on. You have enough money. Your films have made about $US6 billion at the box office.
A: (Laughs) No, I love the work. I love the opportunity to get on the set and play. I just like making movies.
Q: That’s a great thing because with acting, unlike many jobs, there is not really a retirement age. You can keep on doing it for years to come.
A: I hope so.
Q: In Morning Glory you character, Mike Pomeroy, is a highly-respected newsman who finds himself on a morning TV program that he believes is beneath his status.
A: Yes. Mike has spent his life doing hard news and his contract at the TV network, IBS, has not yet ended. He was pushed aside for a younger man to fill the news anchor desk, but he did not really mind because he was still enjoying the $6 million a year the network had to pay him per his contract. But, the contract states if he turned down another job IBS offered him, he’d lose the $6 million salary. He is asked to go down to the morning TV show Daybreak and is not happy about it, but it is his greed that compels him to do this.
Q: Did you model Mike Pomeroy on any of the great American TV newsmen like Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather?
A: No. I didn’t model my character after anybody. I wanted to bring the ideas that were in the story because it was a really well-crafted script. I wanted to be Mike Pomeroy. That specific character. I didn’t want to do an impersonation of somebody else.
Q: Looking over your long career, you seemed to have steered clear from playing real people. Was that a conscious decision?
A: Yes. I shy away from playing real people because I don’t think I’m very good at imitation. I find another path to take on a character. I don’t want to take on the obligation people are familiar with. I’ve been asked to play Robert Kennedy and other well-known people that the public is familiar with, but decided against it.
Q: Over the years you have been interviewed many times on morning TV shows like Daybreak. After making Morning Glory does it alter your opinion of the shows? Give you a different perspective?
A: There are some people that are very good at what they do. They get up early in the morning and it’s a pleasure to be in their hands. They know how to make you comfortable and get you through the four to seven minutes they’ll spend with you. They understand why you have come to sell your movie and they admit to the process. Some are really, really good. Most of them are successes and hold their jobs because of that. In our movie, we are the lowest-rated morning show in the history of television. We are talking about people that are not very good at what they do. But, I don’t go to those places (laughs).
Q: In Morning Glory, Rachel McAdams’ character attempts to resurrect Daybreak’s ratings by doing some crazy things in an attempt to boost ratings. Can you weigh in on the debate involving news versus entertainment and particularly, what some describe as the dumbing down of the media?
A: That’s a really interesting question. Not all media is dumb. We now have 24 hour news. It’s not really news anymore. A lot of it is what used to be features. Interesting things perhaps. But, as citizens, we still need quality information about what is going on in the world. Our citizen responsibilities depend on us getting good information.
Q: Where do you get your good information?
A: I depend more on the radio than television. It seems to me that your task as a journalist is more clear on radio and the density of thought has to be great because you’re not depending on pictures to carry the story. You have to tell the story. I have to use different sources to get what I think is the necessary information.
Q: Was it your interest in news that attracted you to Morning Glory?
A: It was a really good script. I also wanted to work with a really good director. I had an opportunity to work with people really good at what they do and it was a real pleasure to be part of the adventure.
Q: When you read the part of Mike Pomeroy what did you think of him? Did you like him?
A: No. Like didn’t come into it (laughs). He’s not that likable. He’s a bit of an ass to be honest. But, what I did like was how he grows in the film, sees the light, and also the impact he has on Rachel McAdams’ character.
Q: In Morning Glory we discover Mike Pomeroy is actually quite talented in the kitchen and his specialty is a frittata. How is Harrison Ford in the kitchen?
A: Yeah, I’m a cook. I love to cook. But, I like meals in minutes. I like to get it done and then eat. I’m not a guy who is going to do a red wine reduction all day long, but I do like being in the kitchen and I like to eat at home.
Q: Well, you are a newlywed so sharing the cooking duties is part of the job isn’t it?
A: Newlywed? Me? Look at me (laughs). I’m always wed. I have been with Calista for 10 years. The honeymoon is over (laughs).
Q: What’s your specialty dish?
A: Deep dish. No, I like to cook stir-frys. That’s what I’m known for at home.
Q: Morning Glory has a very fast pace.
A: Roger Michell is a really smart director and I don’t think he ever talked about pace. He managed to get the pace he wanted without pointing at it as a separate ambition. There is something remarkable he does that I have rarely seen. He fills a frame in every shot with activity, energy and information. Part of the density of the film is acquired visually. For that reason, he is one of the most adept film directors I have worked with. He has spent most of his time doing stage work where pace is critical because there is no editing so maybe that’s where he gets it from. Time is a big element in this story.
Q: Your co-star in Morning Glory is the gorgeous Rachel McAdams. Can you tell us something about her.
A: She’s more than gorgeous. She’s really good at what she does and she’s a pleasure to work with. Rachel has a rare capacity to keep all the comedy balls in the air and maintain an emotional vulnerability at the same time.
Q: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a huge success. Has there been any talk from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas about doing another film in the Indiana Jones series?
A: I’m looking forward to being able to do it again if we get a good script. George is working on something now and if it works out well, I’d be happy to play the character again.
Q: Your kids must love the fact their father is Indiana Jones and Hans Solo.
A: Well, I’m not sure. They haven’t shown any particular interest because I guess they grew up around it. It is natural to them. They go to work with you and see what you do. I have five kids and none have shown any particular interest in the work that I do.
Q: You are a father and a grandfather. What’s that like.
A: Yes, I’m a grandfather, but I also have a nine-year-old son. It’s a learning process. While everyone has an instinct for parenting, your experience helps you a great deal and your maturity. I’m always glad to get another shot at fatherhood. There’s nothing like the company of young kids to keep you on your toes and remind you of the pleasure of learning. It’s the main thing that kids do. They are sponges and it’s exciting to be around them.
Q: You are also a pilot and have your own fleet of planes. Why is flying so appealing to you?
A: It gives you freedom and responsibility. I like seeing the world from the sky. I like controlling how I am going to see the world. I like the skill sets it involves. I love flying into the back country. Every year I go with a bunch of guys and fly into the wilderness. We land in little out of the way airstrips, on roads or a patch of ground. There’s one way in and one way out. You have to develop a skill and I love to keep learning.
Q: Are these trips boys only?
A: No. Some of the guys bring their wives. Calista has been working on a TV show (Brothers & Sisters), but I love to get her out there.
Q: Thank you for your time.
A: It’s been a pleasure.
MORNING GLORY is released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK from 23rd May, 2011.
