For decades, Harrison Ford has delighted audiences with his performances in big-screen productions. He has explored ancient ruins like Indiana Jones (and does it again in the fifth film) Yup clashed with Greedo and more What Star Wars‘Han Solo. But these days, Ford is also taking the small screen by storm, most recently channeling his inner cowboy through 1923 . Now the beloved actor is taking on another new role opposite Jason Segel on Apple TV+. Contraction. The comedy series gives Ford another chance to flex his acting muscles, although before joining the show he had a major question for executive producer Bill Lawrence.
Veteran television producer, who co-created the series with Jason Segel and his co-creators ted lasso former student Brett Goldstein, was thrilled to work with Harrison Ford. Of course, he had to pitch the project to the 80-year-old actor first. Lawrence sat down with Gossipify and discussed his proposition with the veteran star, and was apparently hooked pretty quickly. However, Ford still wasn’t clear on something about his possible involvement:
So when we wrote the pilot, you know, he’s not that involved in the pilot, and when I sent it to him, I was like, ‘Do you want to do this show?’ He says, “Will I be in more episodes than the others?” I’m like, ‘Well, if he’s just some random actor, maybe not, but if he is, yeah. [Laughs]
You can’t blame the actor for wanting to know how often he would appear on the show if he were to sign on. If anything, your question is evidence of your enthusiasm for the material being presented to you. Unsurprisingly, producers were quick to expand the role for him. After all, how can you get your hands on one of the most prolific actors in all of Hollywood and not make the most of his acting chops?
In the Contraction, Harrison Ford plays Dr. Paul Rhodes, a renowned cognitive behavioral therapist who has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As he comes to terms with his own situation, he finds himself drawn into the complex web created by his colleague Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel). The therapist, mourning his wife, begins to break the ethical code of his profession by being completely honest with his patients. As for Rhodes’ character, Bill Lawrence and co. they were eventually able to tailor it to Ford’s voice and sensibility:
When she said yes, of course, we went back and rewrote each line to make it resonate, in our heads. [, like Ford]. The great thing about writing for someone like Harrison Ford is, you know, you can program his name into your DVR, and your DVR will suddenly start smoking and exploding. So you could hear his voice in your head. And let’s be honest, 50% of the time Harrison says what he means anyway.
He’s definitely a “call it what I see it” kind of artist, both on and off camera. (I still think about her Brand thoughts on joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe .) At the end of the day, though, it’s this honest and sincere demeanor that helped cement his involvement with this new show, and Bill Lawrence would probably agree that it’s all the better to have.
Contraction raw (opens in a new tab) on January 27, so make sure you have a AppleTV+ subscription so you can check it. Also, keep an eye out for other top tier series debuting as part of the TV show 2023 .
Source: Cinemablend
