Harrison Ford Admits He Had ‘Complicated’ Tension With Brad Pitt On Devil's Own Set

The Indiana Jones actor said he clashed with his former co-star over their "different views".
|
Open Image Modal
Harrison Ford in Cannes last month
Pool via Getty Images

Harrison Ford is looking back on a “complicated” feud he once had with Brad Pitt while filming 1997’s The Devil’s Own.

In a new interview with Esquire, the veteran actor revealed that the Hollywood pair had a troublesome rift at one point, due to their “different ideas” about the film’s script. 

“Brad developed the script. Then they offered me the part. I saved my comments about the character and the construction of the thing,” the 80-year-old star explained. 

“First of all, I admire Brad. I think he’s a wonderful actor. He’s a really decent guy. But we couldn’t agree on a director until we came to Alan Pakula, who I had worked with before but Brad had not,” Harrison cotninued, referencing his role in the 1990 mystery film Presumed Innocent.

In The Devil’s Own, a New York police officer (played by Harrison) uncovers the real identity of his house guest, a deadly IRA assassin (Brad Pitt), who pulls them into the crossfire of terrorism in an attempt to purchase a cargo of missiles.

The two opposing characters ultimately butt heads as they do what they both think is right.

Open Image Modal
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt at the premiere of The Devil's Own
Richard Corkery/New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images

“Brad had this complicated character, and I wanted a complication on my side so that it wasn’t just a good-and-evil battle,” he continued. “And that’s when I came up with the bad-shooting thing.”

The “bad-shooting thing” is in reference to a scene in the film, in which Harrison’s character finds himself morally conflicted after witnessing his partner (Rubén Blades) fatally shoot someone. 

Harrison’s subplot was eventually woven into the film, but the Star Wars alum said trying to work the scene into the movie while they were still shooting was no easy feat. 

“I worked with a writer — but then all the sudden we’re shooting and we didn’t have a script that Brad and I agreed on,” Harrison explained.

“Each of us had different ideas about it. I understand why he wanted to stay with his point of view, and I wanted to stay with my point of view — or I was imposing my point of view, and it’s fair to say that that’s what Brad felt.” 

Open Image Modal
Brad Pitt
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis via Getty Images

He added: “It was complicated. I like the movie very much. Very much.”

Back in September, Harrison announced he’s reprising his beloved role as Indiana Jones in the franchise’s fifth instalment, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The action-adventure film is slated to hit cinemas on June 30.  

Watch the trailer below: