Crafting a franchise finale like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a tricky endeavor. On one hand, there’s a temptation to make everything perfect for an action star like Harrison Ford, especially when he’s in his trademark fedora and leather jacket. However, when a team of stuntmen tried to help enhance this image of perfection surrounding the legendary actor, he rejected that notion with an F-bomb for the ages.
I totally understand why Mr. Ford would feel this way; as well as why he delivered the message so bluntly. This is even despite the star of some of the best action movies ever admitting to Esquire that his swearing has gotten him in trouble with wife Calista Flockhart. The franchise veteran admittedly continued to use some choice expletives to enhance stories such as this one from his latest, and final, Indiana Jones movie. Which only made the star's reaction to that moment on set all the more appropriate, as you can read below:
I thought, What the fuck? Like I was being attacked by gropers. I look down and there’s three stunt guys there making sure I didn’t fall off the stirrup. They said, ‘Oh, we were just afraid because we thought, you know, and bah bah bah bah.’ And I said, ‘Leave me the fuck alone, I’m an old man … Leave me alone, I’m an old man getting off a horse and I want it to look like that!’
As we’ve seen throughout various commercials and the Indiana Jones 5 Super Bowl trailer, the moment in question is Harrison Ford’s big horse chase through a New York parade scene. It’s a pretty classic Indy feat that invokes many of the iconic moments that our hero has experienced in the past. In the case, it seems that Ford wanted the moment to perfectly capture what it would look like if an older man was performing the sequence. You honestly can't buck his logic, as such authenticity can help enhance the production.
Being able to see the star is such a position up close and personal probably inspired those stuntmen to preserve the magic for as long as possible. But that’s not what the 81-year-old was aiming to do, which has been shown quite openly throughout the journey to this date with destiny.
Quite the vocal party throughout the production and release of this franchise capper, he gave some notable script notes when it came to The Dial of Destiny. Mainly, he didn’t want to harp on the worn theme of jokes pertaining to Dr. Henry Jones Jr.’s advancing age. Though the man affectionately known as Indiana may not be as young as he used to be, the actor behind the legend wanted his rough and tumble archaeologist to age with grace.
Swearing at stunt performers aside, you can tell that Harrison Ford was pumped about Indiana Jones 5. Dedicated to doing as much stunt work as he can, and showing Dr. Jones’ years and mileage on the big screen, the man set to star in Captain America: New World Order is still inspiring people in his own way. Even action daredevil Tom Cruise wants to follow in Ford’s footsteps, with plans to make Mission: Impossible movies until he’s at least in his ‘80s.
That’s not a bad legacy to leave behind, and all things surrounding this action hero for the ages can be celebrated; if you know where to look. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently showing at a theater near you, with all previous films and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles streaming for those with an active Disney+ subscription.
