Actor Harrison Ford has had a long and wildly successful career, including playing roles in iconic franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones (which are both streaming with a Disney+ subscription). He’s worked with a ton of talented co-stars during that time, including the great Gary Oldman. An amused Oldman recalled Ford flaunting the rules on the set of Air Force One, and it totally checks out.
Air Force One is a quintessential Gary Oldman role, where the plays a villainous terrorist who hijacks the titular plane. The Harry Potter icon recently reminisced about that film with Outstanding Screenplays, revealing a hilariously on-brand memory with Harrison Ford. As he put it:
I did Air Force One with Harrison Ford. And we were on a set which was obviously the aircraft Air Force One. There were signs everywhere. There was no drinking, no smoking, no eating on the set. And there was one day when I looked around and Harrison was standing in the doorway beneath the sign that said ‘no smoking, no drinking no eating’ and he was drinking a coffee, eating a burrito, while smoking a cigar, and he was doing all three.
I mean, how funny is that? There are certain perks that come with being the first name on the call sheet, and for Harrison Ford that included breaking all the rules of the Air Force One set. And it’s a story that Gary Oldman remembers fondly, laughing as he shared the hi-jinx of the 82 year-old Han Solo icon.
In the years since its release, there has been much debate about which movie was superioer: Air Force One or Con Air. I personally think Harrison Ford’s movie is excellent, and it’s one I watched over and over again on VHS as a young person. And that’s partly thanks to the tense, excellent performances given by both Ford and Oldman.
Harrison Ford’s personality is just one reason why he’s been an A-list movie star for so long. He’s known for shutting down Star Wars debates like who shot first, as well as being far less invested in his genre work than fans. Case in point: he recently referred to his roles in upcoming Marvel movies as “being an idiot for money.” So it should come as no surprise that his swagger extended to the set of Air Force One, where he purposefully broke rules in front of Gary Oldman.
It shoud be interesting to see if Oldman and Ford ever get to do another movie together, and what shenanigans might occur. They both remain super busy, and have done work in beloved franchises. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
