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With the 2023 Cannes Film Festival nearing its halfway point, I have three main takeaways from the first half:

(1) None of the notable films that have actually been shown—among them Martin Scorsese‘s Moonflower KillersAnd Todd Haynes” may december And Jonathan Glazer‘s area of ​​interest It has been adopted globally.

(2) The peddlers of umbrellas in the streets must have killed – the weather was bad almost every day.

(3) The most exciting and impactful event to date occurred on Thursday evening, when Harrison Ford – arguably cinema’s biggest living legend – was greeted with a standing ovation at the Palace, surprised by the honorary Palme d’Or and moved to tears before the film’s world premiere Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinythe fifth and final installment in one of the most popular movie franchises of all time.

On a Saturday morning, I caught up with the 80-year-old — who’s also starred in two major TV series over the past year, as a therapist battling Parkinson’s disease on Apple TV+. shrank and as the patriarch of a Montana ranching family in Paramount+ 1923 — in a beachside cabana at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc for his only one-man interview at the festival with an American newspaper. He admitted he was exhausted from partying until late Friday night but confirmed he was still riding high from Thursday night.

Congratulations on Thursday night. What does this audience reception and honor from the festival mean to you?

it was a great night. I can’t deny that. Nor can I deny that I am uncommonly flattered and contemplative and perfectly happy to be here.

Do you remember the first time you were in Cannes?

no you

I think it may have been 1985 a witness, no? I know you came back in 2014 for Mercenaries 3.

Oh, and there were many others in between. A married couple is involved Indiana Jones. [Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered at the fest in 2008.] I usually ended up in the same state I am in now – I’m sober, but I’m a little late.

When you first played Han Solo in the ’70s and Deckard and Indiana Jones in the ’80s, did you ever imagine you’d revisit those parts?

No, it never occurred to me. I don’t even remember if it was a favor back in the old days. We didn’t do that at that time. When I did the first star WarsThe only objection I had to the contract was the supplementary clause, which I had not signed.

Smart negotiation tactic!

I was so stupid that I “negotiated” this. I just ran away from him.

Why?

Because I don’t want to be forced. I wanted to see if the person was successful before I broke into a couple of other companies. But, again, fate intervened.

So when you go back to those parts, lately Indiana Jones —

You mean I have to do another shit Blade Runner?! No, no, no, I actually like it. Someone once asked me – I think it might have been a journalist because I can’t imagine anyone else asking me that question – “Would you do every goddamn movie you’ve ever done over again?” [pause] I said, “Why not?”

Is going back to these parts like going back to an old pair of shoes?

No, there is a little discipline in that. I always felt, and the people I worked with always felt, that we needed to bring something new into the mix. If we do another Indiana Jones, the primary question is, “What new thing are we going to learn about Indiana Jones?” Because if you don’t progress in character when you progress in the story, you will be out of sync. I wasn’t disappointed with any of those movies I did where I finished – which I can think of now.

You say there should always be a motive. with this Indiana JonesWhat, for you, is the underlying reason for revisiting the story?

I’ve always wanted a final chapter in the story. We first started thinking about it a few years ago. My ambition – all of our ambitions – was to come up with a story that dealt with the reality of his era because he was a physical character. I wanted to see it dwindle and come to life, whatever the story and who the characters were. And when we got the story that felt right for everyone, we moved on.

Looking at the beginning of your career, you were a $150-a-week contract player at Columbia and then a $250-a-week contract player at Universal. When I first interviewed you 10 years ago, you told me the reason you left the job at Universal was because they were asking you to do a lot of spin-off TV shows and, “I figured I would grope my face before I had a chance to do the kind of work I was into ambition to. “

That was my understanding, or that was my hunch, at the time. Hence the development of my carpentry career. [Editor’s note: Ford bided his time doing carpentry. Among his jobs was building an elaborate entrance for Francis Ford Coppola’s office at Goldwyn Studios. One day, George Lucas, who had already directed him in American Graffiti, walked in with Richard Dreyfuss, who was being considered for Star Wars. Shortly thereafter, Ford was asked to read opposite the other actors who were being considered, which he did for two weeks before being offered the part of Han Solo.]

I’m only bringing this quote up because attitudes toward television – including your own – have changed a lot since then.

It’s not just situations. It is the intention of television. I’m not qualified to rate how it all turned out because it’s in a state of flux at the moment. There are problematic aspects to it like we’re on strike –

But the notion that, in one year’s time, you’ll be part of two TV series, both of which I’ve been preparing for ever since, is pretty amazing. What is the appeal of television today for you?

Writing quality is what drew me. It was undeniable.

How do you feel about the amount of work involved and the pace of it all?

I love him. I like the fast pace. I love collaborating on that. I love the people I work with. And I love the damn stuff. Can we leave the “fucking” out this time instead of putting it in the headline? [Editor’s note: Ford is jokingly referencing the recent THR cover story about him entitled, “Harrison Ford: I Know Who the F*** I Am.”]

How do you think your life would have turned out if you hadn’t found acting?

I would be a miserable carpenter.

When you were under contract with Columbia, they wanted you to change your name. Have you ever considered any alternatives?

Yes, I did. Kurt Affair.

seriously?

Yes. It was the most ridiculous thing I could think of to tell them. And they said the usual thing, “Get out of here.” This “damn” you can print but not the headline. (He laughs)

I have been a part of many box office movies. What did you not expect at least to the extent that it happened?

naturally, star Wars. But I thought star Wars I was going to a job. I don’t know much about science fiction, and I’m not necessarily a huge fan — I don’t have anything against it, I just don’t know it very well, and haven’t given it much thought — but I do know about fairy tales because I have kids, so I can smell fairy tales. The gruff young man, the wise old warrior, the beautiful princess. I kind of knew I was [as Han Solo] It was Smartass that was necessary. It’s pepper. So, I kind of laid out the potential for it to work. At least it will put my kids to sleep.

Who in your life taught you the most?

Well, my wife [actress Calista Flockhart] He still teaches me. I have not graduated from any course I have previously taken, so make use of any available wisdom. I don’t know, it takes me a while to get the hang of things sometimes.

If you could get your identity back for one day, what would you do?

Well, no one will find out. You won’t post anything about it the next day. I can tell you.

You said you really enjoy working with young talent, like Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Destiny asked Jason Segal from shrank. What do you learn from them, and what do they most want to learn from you?

That’s a good question. You can save the hard stuff for last, right? I don’t know. I don’t listen very well when they want something from me because I don’t feel like I should be giving advice to anyone.

Why not?

Because everyone does it differently. The only advice I can conceive of being of value is, “Why are you asking me? You’ll have to find out for yourself.” Any answer that does not come from you is not sufficient. Don’t imitate someone else’s success, try it, or think there will be any value in it, because everyone has to have their own process and find their own path. And if you start trying to follow someone else, you’ll lose the way every time.

Wasn’t there someone for you who was the North Star?

everyone. If Dolly Fist had the next big good idea, this is where I’d go. because [a set] It’s a great atmosphere where everyone matters and everyone contributes. Any good idea can fall from the sky.

You mentioned that the main reason for returning to the part of Indiana Jones was to see him in his older years, and how he handles things differently than he did when he was younger. What is the most important thing You You wouldn’t know when you were younger as you know now?

This is a reference to Phil Stotts: keep moving. forward movement. Do not stop. Don’t stand around watching your accidents. “Nothing to see people. Keep moving.”

The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.