Harrison Ford Defends ‘Indiana Jones’ De-Aging Technology: Details

It’s not the years, it’s the mileage! Harrison Ford defended the de-aging know-how used on him throughout a flashback sequence in his new movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.  

“I know that that is my face,” Ford, 80, mentioned in a press convention after a screening of the motion flick on the 2023 Cannes Film Festival earlier this weekend. “It’s not a kind of Photoshop magic — that’s what I looked like 35 years ago. Because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we’ve made together over all of these years. And this process, this scientific mining of this library, this was put to good [use].” 

While some have criticized the usage of de-aging know-how over hiring youthful actors for flashback scenes, the Shrinking star defined that the choice typically is smart — particularly when it helps audiences emotionally resonate with a personality. 

“It’s just a trick unless it’s supported by a story, and it sticks out like a sore thumb if it’s not honest, it’s not real,” he continued. “I mean, emotionally real. And so I think it was used very skillfully.”

Ford has portrayed the titular character of Indiana Jones since Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. He returned for 1984’s Temple of Doom, 1989’s Last Crusade and 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Dials of Destiny marks his fifth time within the position — and what he plans to be his final. 

“Is it not evident?” Ford joked when requested if this will likely be his final time placing on the legendary fedora. “I need to sit down and rest a little bit. I love to work, and I love this character, and I love what it brought into my life, and that’s all I can say.”

The Witness star beforehand bought candid about saying goodbye to the character throughout an interview with Total Film in April. 

“This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character,” he shared on the time. “I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film … I have been ambitious to do this film for 10 years, and there finally came a time when we all committed to that. It was a joyous moment for me. I think it’s a rare situation that I find myself in it.” 

While the Star Wars actor — who additionally bid farewell to Hans Solo after reprising the position for 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens — mentioned he’s “happy” with how the de-aging sequence in Dial of Destiny turned out, the concept of really rewinding time isn’t one thing he’d be fascinated about pursuing. 

“I don’t look back and say, ‘I wish I was that guy again,’ because I don’t,” he defined after the movie’s premiere. “I’m real happy with age. I love being older. It was great to be young, but s—tfire I could be dead, and I’m still working.”

Ford has been busy lately. In addition to bidding farewell to Jones and Solo, he returned for the 2017 Blade reboot and has starred in a number of critically acclaimed TV collection together with Yellowstone prequel 1923 and AppleTV+’s Shrinking, which was not too long ago picked up for a second season. 

Off display, Ford has additionally balanced being a devoted husband, father and stepdad in his private life. He tied the knot with spouse Calista Flockhart in June 2010 after seven years of courting and later adopted Flockhart’s son, Liam, who was born in 2001. The Firewall actor additionally shares sons Benjamin, 56, and Willard, 54,  together with his first spouse, Mary Marquardt, and is dad to son Malcolm, 35, and daughter Georgia, 32, whom he shares with second spouse Melissa Mathison. 

In June 2003, Ford opened up about his relationship with the 58-year-old Ally McBeal alum — who’s 22 years his junior — saying that sparks can fly between two individuals at any age. 

“I’m in love,” he gushed to Hello! journal on the time. “Romantic love is one of the most exciting and fulfilling kinds of love, and I think there is a potential for it at any stage of your life. I was not surprised that I was able to fall in love, and I wasn’t surprised that I did.”