1923 stars Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford reflect on their first movie together. Mirren and Ford first shared the screen in Peter Weir's 1986 film The Mosquito Coast, in which they portrayed a couple in a difficult marriage due to Ford's character's reckless idealism. In the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff series 1923, the pair will reunite, once again playing a married couple as they portray a new generation of the Dutton family, Jacob and Cara. Mirren and Ford's on-screen reunion in 1923 is highly anticipated by fans of the actors considering the massive success each has achieved since their first project together.
While speaking with Variety at the red carpet premiere of 1923, Mirren and Ford spoke about their working relationship prior to starring alongside each other in the upcoming Yellowstone prequel. The pair recalled their time on The Mosquito Coast over three decades ago, with Mirren revealing how "intimidated" she was by Ford due to his status as a movie star. She also mentioned that Ford offered her valuable advice while filming that she still puts into practice today, demonstrating how fruitful the pair's collaboration ended up being. In addition, Ford described the opportunity to work with Mirren again "a professional pleasure and also a personal pleasure," offering another example of the actors' level of partnership. Check out what they had to say below:
Mirren: "When we first worked together, he was a huge movie star and I was like nobody. So I was very intimidated. I learned a lot from him because I hadn’t done a lot. I had done a lot of theater at that point, [but] I hadn’t done a lot of movies. So I watched him and he taught me a great deal about film acting that, to this day, I’m still using.”
Ford: “I admired her work and her person then, and I hold the same degree of admiration for her. She’s just a lovely person, so it’s been both a professional pleasure and also a personal pleasure to be able to work with her again.”
Jacob And Cara's Partnership Will Be Essential In 1923
After The Mosquito Coast, Mirren went on to become a sensation, even earning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 2007's The Queen. Ford, who was already well-known as a leading man when they first collaborated due to his starring role in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, has only grown more iconic over the years. Though Yellowstone and previous prequel series 1883 have featured impressive talent including Kevin Costner, Sam Elliot, and Billy Bob Thornton, 1923 may boast the most stacked cast yet due to the inclusion of Mirren and Ford.
Unlike their previous collaboration The Mosquito Coast, the couple that Ford and Mirren will portray in 1923 appears to exhibit a strong partnership. Similar to the real-life admiration that Ford and Mirren have expressed for one another, the relationship between Jacob and Cara Dutton appears to be built from deep mutual respect based on promotional materials for the series. The couple's marriage will be a fascinating dynamic to explore in the time period of the prequel as well as being a key facet of the spinoff.
The trailers and other information released about 1923 have teased that it could be the darkest and most grim Dutton story yet as Jacob, Cara, and the rest of the family deal with the many hardships present in 1920s Montana. Ford and others involved have described 1923 as a story of the Duttons' very survival as they work to keep their home, which will require that the main couple trust one another and rely on their partnership to a great extent. As such, it bodes well that Ford and Mirren have expressed such high esteem for one another behind the scenes, which will likely translate to impeccable on-screen chemistry when 1923 premieres on Paramount+ December 18.
Source: Variety