Erin Free
What Happened? Though he has allegedly turned down more juicy roles than any other actor – among them the leads in JFK, The Untouchables, Cape Fear, Schindler’s List, and Jurassic Park – the only true regret that Hollywood legend, Harrison Ford, has ever admitted to was passing on a supporting role in Stephen Gaghan’s highly complex 2005 dramatic thriller, Syriana. The role offered to Ford was that of compromised CIA agent, Bob Barnes, an inherently decent man morally and emotionally corrupted by years of illicit action in the world’s various political hot spots. The role eventually went to George Clooney, who gained weight, grew a beard, and effectively disappeared into the part, leaving in his place a broken, desperate, but strangely noble character. After solidly establishing himself as a leading man, this piece of straight-up character acting represented exciting new ground for Clooney, whose admirable acting stretch saw him awarded a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. “I saw a bit of Syriana, and I wish that I’d played that part,” Ford has said. “I didn’t feel strongly enough about the truth of the material, and I think that I made a mistake. The film underwent some changes, and I think that a lot of [the finished product] is very truthful: the things that I thought weren’t, were obviated after I left the table.” Perhaps, however, it was the supporting nature of the role that turned Ford off. “I’m like a fireman,” he once said. “When I go out on a call, I want to put out a big fire; I don’t want to put out a fire in a dumpster.”
Would It Have Worked? A resounding yes. Though George Clooney was achingly effective and touchingly human as the tragic Bob Barnes, Harrison Ford would have been just as good, with his advanced years giving the character an even deeper well of regret, and an even more intense need to finally redeem himself.
