Ridley Scott always believed Harrison Ford had the potential to be a major Hollywood star, despite initial doubts from others. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the director shared his thoughts on casting Ford in the iconic 1982 film Blade Runner.
At the time, Ford was not yet the household name he would later become. Although Ford had appeared as Han Solo in Star Wars (1977) and played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Scott needed some persuasion to cast him. “Harrison Ford was not a star,” Scott recalled. “I remember my financiers asking, ‘Who the hell is Harrison Ford?’ And I said, ‘You’re going to find out.’ So, Harry became my leading man.”
Blade Runner follows Rick Deckard (Ford), a Blade Runner tasked with hunting down fugitive Replicants who have returned to Earth. Scott also discussed his approach to creating a unique cinematic world, focusing on the film’s complex narrative and character-driven story. “I wanted to invent a new world,” said Scott. “I spent five months working with a talented writer, Hampton Fancher, who had adapted Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into a screenplay. We focused on the emotional journey of the characters, especially the relationship between the hunter and his quarry.”
Scott’s vision for Blade Runner not only made it a cult classic but also launched a franchise, with a sequel, Blade Runner 2049, released in 2017, where Ford reprised his role.
