Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford are both cinema icons, with long careers spanning decades. They have both been in a number of great films, and it’s hard to believe that they have only worked together once, on a 1997 film titled The Devil’s Own. The two play opposite each other well, and have a great cat-and-mouse dynamic throughout the film. However, Ford revealed he and Pitt had a hard time getting on the same page while making the movie, and detailed why that was the case.
In a recent interview with Esquire, the Han Solo actor opened up about many of his past roles and different experiences he’s had during his legendary career. He had participated in several projects with challenging productions, however, it seems like one has stuck out. The actor has previously stated that making The Devil’s Own was one of the hardest films of his career, and now is opening up about why that was.
Heh. Yeah, I remember why. Brad developed the script. Then they offered me the part. I saved my comments about the character and the construction of the thing—I admired Brad. [Drumming.] First of all, I admire Brad. I think he’s a wonderful actor. [Thump.] He’s a really decent guy. But we couldn’t agree on a director until we came to Alan Pakula, who I had worked with before but Brad had not. Brad had this complicated character, and I wanted a complication on my side so that it wasn’t just a good-and-evil battle. And that’s when I came up with the bad-shooting thing.
Clearly, the two actors had different approaches to the story. While they both had mutual respect for each other as performers, they were coming at the material from different angles. They both were focused on their own characters with Ford wanting to expand his, while the Se7en star wanted to solely stick with how he had developed the story. Ford went on to explain the conflict, saying:
I worked with a writer—but then all the sudden we’re shooting and we didn’t have a script that Brad and I agreed on. Each of us had different ideas about it. I understand why he wanted to stay with his point of view, and I wanted to stay with my point of view—or I was imposing my point of view, and it’s fair to say that that’s what Brad felt. It was complicated. I like the movie very much. Very much.
Even while there were creative differences behind the scenes, it’s good to know Ford is happy with how the film came out at the end of the day. While the two actors didn’t work together again, their mutual respect could mean a reunion isn't totally out of the question. It’s been over 25 years since A Devil’s Own was released, and both performers have evolved so much as creatives over the years. If they can just get on the same page about a script, I’m sure they could make a great film together, and have a good time making it.
Even if this isn't on the horizon, both actors have plenty of projects to keep themselves busy. Ford is joining the MCU in both Thunderbolts and Captain America: New World Order. He is also one of the stars of AppleTV’s Shrinking, which was recently renewed for a second season. As for Pitt, he has high-profile acting projects in development and production. He is starring alongside longtime pal George Clooney in the action flick Wolves, and he is also working on an F1 racing film with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski at the helm. These two may be the busiest people in Hollywood, but I’m still holding out hope we could see them on screen together someday.
You can catch Harrison Ford in his latest film Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, which will be released in theaters on June 30. Fans of The Devil’s Own can also revisit the flick now with a Netflix subscription. For more information on other movies coming to cinemas and streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.
