Harrison Ford marches to the beat of his own drum when he makes public appearances, and his guest spot on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon was no different.
Ford had some fun with Fallon, first acting disgusted when Fallon attempted a spit-take joke, telling the host “I’m an Academy Award-nominated actor, give me a little respect.” When Fallon brings up director J.J. Abrams breaking a part of his spine while trying to help Ford after he suffered his own newsworthy ankle injury, Ford cracks up the audience by saying “what a pity” and unsympathetically telling Fallon “they closed a fucking door on me.”
Fallon then brings out a Han Solo doll and asks the actor to recount his injury, while maneuvering the doll in different positions. Ford grabs the doll and shows his injury in dramatic fashion, ripping off the doll’s ankle before tearing it apart. (Any repressed anger there?) He laments coming on the show, telling Fallon “I’m here just to warm up Adam Driver, right?”
But the money quote out of this entire great exchange is when Fallon asks Ford, “Did you get emotional when you put the wardrobe on?” Ford responds “No, I got paid.”
Even if you’re not a fan of Fallon and his penchant for laughing at everything, there are some genuinely funny moments here. Ford’s having fun, but he’s being grumpy and honest. It makes for some seriously entertaining television.
My favorite Ford late-night appearance may be when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2013, and refused to answer Star Wars questions in a great bit which featured some personal life drama between him and Chewbacca. Ford will surely be glad when all of this promotion for The Force Awakens is over, but at least his grudging acceptance provides amusement for us.
