Harrison Ford liked Solo: A Star Wars Story “very much”, says Ron Howard

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY saw Alden Ehrenreich stepping into the shoes of Harrison Ford as he was tasked with playing a young Han Solo. It was probably a pretty daunting endeavor considering Han Solo is one of the most iconic movie characters of all-time and a role that has defined a part of Ford's career so one has to wonder what were the veteran actor's thoughts on the STAR WARS prequel?

Ron Howard recently did an interview with the Lights, Camera, Barstool podcast and he was asked about how Harrison Ford REALLY felt about the film. Ford publicly gave his approval a few times before the film's release but I suppose some thought it was to be publicly polite but Howard says that Ford privately told him he liked the film very much:

"Harrison Ford liked Solo very much and was supportive when he saw it. He was so gracious and complementary to Alden Ehrenreich. He said some things publicly, but privately, it was really great to see him put his hand on Alden's shoulder. and say, 'great job kid'. Alden Worked so hard and it was a very high-risk situation for him and he was a cool customer and was really a pleasure to work with, as was the entire cast, they are just a great bunch."

As it turns out, Howard also needed some words of encouragement from Harrison Ford. Howard wasn't the first choice to direct SOLO, in fact, the director was only brought on to the project after Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired due to "creative differences." Before accepting the job, Howard says he contacted Ford for advice, and here is what he had to say:

"Harrison's a very thoughtful actor and an artist, and I wanted to know what he learned about the character. He said that Han is always torn between that sense that he was, in a way, an orphan, and therefore both yearned for connection with people and struggled with it at the same time. I thought that was pretty interesting."

It's probably refreshing to get the seal of approval from the guy that originated the role. I must say, sometimes Harrison Ford seems a little grumpy in interviews and you can't really tell how he's feeling but it's nice to hear that he was encouraging and supportive of the project, not just publicly, but also in private. SOLO may not have lit the box office on fire but in the relatively short time since its release the film has garnered a sizable fanbase and this has sparked some sequel talk. Howard revealed in the same interview that he believes a sequel is possible but there are currently no talks to get one going. With so much goodwill springing up for SOLO, I think LucasFilm should take notice and maybe explore this character once again.

Are YOU surprised that Harrison Ford thought fondly of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY?