(TNS) – At age 80, Harrison Ford stars in his first major television role. In “1923,” a prequel to “Yellowstone,” Ford plays Jacob Dutton, a weather-beaten rancher with little patience for shenanigans.
His character’s cheeky persona is in line with what we’ve seen in his iconic film roles as Hans Solo and Indiana Jones. But this time, Ford will display his swagger-and-smirk style from a smaller screen.
In nearly 50 years, Ford has been in 70-plus films with a combined worldwide box office gross of more than $9 billion.
What made him appear on TV today?
“I’m always interested in working on new things,” Ford said in a Paramount+ promotional video. “It seems to me that there is no longer a huge difference between movies and ambitious television projects.”
Ford’s involvement can also be traced to a meeting with “1923” co-creator Taylor Sheridan at Sheridan’s Silverado ranch near Weatherford. Ford was spotted dining at Istanbul Grill near Sundance Square and other parts of Fort Worth in May.
“I was over there doing some helicopter training in Fort Worth and I had a chance to come up to the ranch and sit down and spend a night with Taylor,” Ford said. “That’s when I heard the story. There was no script, and I met Taylor for the first time. And I felt his ambition for the project.
Once he saw the script, Ford said he was impressed with it, and wanted the chance to work again with co-star Helen Mirren, who played his wife in “The Mosquito Coast” (1986).
“When Taylor and I met, it was probably at least three or four weeks ahead of the script,” Ford says.
Ford prepared for “1923” by watching “1883,” the first “Yellowstone” prequel that was shot mostly in Fort Worth.
In “1923,” Ford plays the great-great-great uncle of John Dutton III, the patriarch of the family portrayed by Kevin Costner.
“Taylor wrote me a matrix for a character that I feel very confident in and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to voice,” Ford said.
