Harrison Ford candidly explains why he's excited to begin work on 1923 season 2. The legendary actor has had a busy year already, with starring roles in two of the buzziest streaming shows so far. The first came when he debuted as Jacob Dutton in the Yellowstone prequel 1923, lending his formidable filmography to the hit Taylor Sheridan franchise. Along with Helen Mirren, Ford's involvement as part of an ensemble added a lot of intrigue to the Yellowstone world. In his other role, the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking, the actor gets to show off more of his comedic chops.
Ford's presence seems to have helped, with Shrinking getting generally positive reviews and 1923 already renewed for season 2. As part of a lengthy interview with THR, Ford talks about why he's excited to get back to work on both shows and explains that he wanted to do different things. In the quote below, Ford also talks about how he was tired of waiting for the upcoming Indiana Jones film to start up and the fact that the scripts were good:
The simplest answer is probably the most truthful: After two years of sitting on my ass during COVID, and waiting quite a few years for Indiana Jones to start, I had not done as much work as I wanted to and I wanted to do different things. So [Shrinking] came along and then, very quickly after that, 1923 came along. I took the job without a script on both of them, on faith that the people who created the projects were going to deliver me a good script. I really didn't realize how much work 1923 was going to be, and I absolutely feel it's worth it. I'm excited to do another season of both.
1923 & Shrinking Show Two Different Sides Of Harrison Ford
1923 is, in key ways, a continuation of what has made Yellowstone successful. At the moment, with speculation that Kevin Costner could be exiting the flagship series and some uncertainty regarding the future of the brand, there's talk among analysts that spinoffs like 1923 are more central to the franchise's future. It's a well-established formula that the likes of Ford and Mirren sold into quite well, anchoring the Paramount+ drama. As assured as it is in its approach, it's familiar. However, as reviews of Shrinking noted, the Apple TV+ comedy could be a cleverer use of Ford.
That is most evident in Shrinking episode 4, which sees the Indiana Jones icon join co-star Jessica Williams in singing the 1990s Sugar Ray classic "Every Morning." In discussing the series, more than a few observers noted that the scene represented the moment that the show began clicking into place. It's helped by the fact that Ford brings a lot of energy to the performance that's different from the kind of portrayals that most recognize him for.
It also represents how television can be a more exciting avenue for actors. While theaters are still figuring out if there's still a place for smaller, non-genre stories, the small screen can be both, delivering franchise fare like 1923 and quieter comedies like Shrinking. With both of those titles able to exist side by side, Ford is allowed to bring two multi-facted performances to life at once, making this a very special time for the iconic actor.
Source: THR