Oh, those celebrity fights: Even though we might hate to admit it, Hollywood is no stranger to behind-the-scenes drama. However, some violent on-set fights can go unnoticed, while others immediately grab media attention. Take, for instance, the ugly feud between Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford.
Yet, while some A-listers are able to maintain their professionalism and finish their work, others outright refuse to film scenes together. For example, it was not clear how their tense relationship would develop when Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt were working on 1997’s The Devil’s Own. Can they make it work, or will the project be scrapped?
What at first seemed to be a perfect pairing quickly went awry after a disagreement between Ford and Pitt over a trivial issue.
Pitt’s improvised line delivery sparked the argument on the set and alarmed Ford, who is renowned for his meticulous attention to detail.
Meanwhile, the Fight Club star even admitted to Newsweek in 1997 that he had actually considered abandoning the project as he was not pleased with the writing.
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Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt Had an Ugly Feud?
Even though Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt finished filming The Devil’s Own almost thirty years ago, rumors of an on-set drama still persist. In May 2023, the Blade Runner actor was asked by Esquire to explain why that shoot had been so challenging, and he recalled it like it was yesterday.
As it turned out, the main issue was that Ford and Pitt could not agree on anything, not even who should direct the movie or what the plot should be. The former star explained that he and Pitt had creative differences when Esquire questioned him about the reason.
“Heh. Yeah, I remember why. Brad developed the script. Then they offered me the part. I saved my comments about the character and the construction of the thing — I admired Brad. First of all, I admire Brad. I think he’s a wonderful actor. He’s a really decent guy. But we couldn’t agree on a director until we came to Alan Pakula, who I had worked with before but Brad had not.”
Ford wanted to give his Irish-American police officer character more depth as Pitt’s role (who played an IRA soldier) had more nuance. And thus, the 81-year-old actor also wished he could have the same.
“I worked with a writer, but then all of a sudden we’re shooting and we didn’t have a script that Brad and I agreed on.”
Ford conceded that they disagreed on how the plot should develop:
“I was imposing my point of view, and it’s fair to say that that’s what Brad felt.”
But in the end, he was pleased with what they managed to accomplish. The veteran actor concluded:
“I like the movie very much.”
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Brad Pitt Almost Quit The Devil’s Own?
When Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford initially decided to star in The Devil’s Own, there was already a script that the former actor had approved. Nevertheless, it underwent a lot of changes very quickly, and the end result was entirely different from the original idea.
According to Pitt, Ford and he were unable to agree on a new direction after the approved script by the Babylon actor was abandoned. And this left Pitt feeling underwhelmed as he stated:
“To have to make something up as you go along — Jesus, what pressure! It was ridiculous. It was the most irresponsible bit of filmmaking — if you can even call it that — that I’ve ever seen.”
Pitt actually wanted to leave the project because he was so angry as he explained:
“I don’t know why anyone would want to continue making that movie. We had nothing.”
But a month later, in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Pitt found himself retracting those statements. He clarified his true motivation for quitting, claiming that his words had been misunderstood. He assured:
“It wasn’t because of lack of script or loss of faith in anybody. Now I’m very happy, and it would be a shame to hurt the movie because lots of people worked very hard.”
Well, the two actors eventually persevered and finished the movie, but they continue to talk about how challenging it was to finish The Devil’s Own to this day. And this 1997 action thriller, by the way, has a pitiful 41% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Devil’s Own, which was directed by Alan J. Pakula, is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source- Esquire magazine
