Dame Helen Mirren said there was a huge change in her co-star Harrison Ford after his near-death experience in 2015. The 79-year-old actress stars alongside Harrison, 82, in 1923, with a second season returning on Paramount Plus. Dame Helen first met Harrison on the set of the 1986 movie The Mosquito Coast where they portrayed a husband and wife. At the time, she was a 'nobody' when she met him. She said in a new interview: "He was a huge star and he really didn’t want to be. He wanted to just be a quiet person getting on with life, and of course, that’s kind of impossible." They reunited almost four decades later for 1923, where they yet again play an on-screen couple.
However, Helen noticed there was something different about her co-star, and she put it down to his near-death experience in his 2015 plane crash. The Indian Jones star, who has been a licensed pilot since 1996, had to make an emergency landing at Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California. The plane's engine lost its power and he had to quickly land. Harrison was taken to a local hospital after breaking his pelvis and ankle. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Helen said she noticed a few changes in him while working with him.
She explained: "Something rather magical has happened to Harrison, especially with his history of, you know, being the dude, the bloke, the fabulous action guy, the funny guy, the cool guy. Now there’s this open road to his inner feelings, which he is absolutely unafraid of expressing. It’s just a true, quick, instinctive emotional reaction to things, without sentimentality.". The iconic actress believes the crash is the reason for his changes in acting style. Harrison also spoke to her about his crash during one of the first scenes they filmed - which saw Harrison's character, Jacob, bloodied and shot. "He’s been carried into the kitchen, dying and covered in blood, and later Harrison did say to me, 'That was how I was after the accident'," she added.
Harrison previously spoke to The Mirror about the crash, explaining: “I’ve been flying for 20 years and it was a very rare thing to happen. It was a mechanical issue and no fault of the maintenance or anyone else.” He added of wife Calista Flockhart: “My wife still supports me because she knows how much it means to me. Maybe I am stupid, but I haven’t changed anything. I still love flying.
