Actor Steven Seagal has grown to be one of the most controversial figures in Hollywood. While many have shared their disliking of the actor, his 1992 feature was the reason behind Harrison Ford’s one of the best action thrillers. The actor starred in Andrew Davis’ 1993 movie The Fugitive. The movie follows a vascular surgeon, Dr. Richard Kimble, trying to clear his name after being framed in the murder of his wife.
The Fugitive was a box office hit and went on to make $353 million at the box office and also received several nominations at the 66th Academy Awards. Tommy Lee Jones, who starred alongside Ford, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the film. Its director has recently shared that it was his 1992 movie that led the Indiana Jones star to move ahead with The Fugitive.
How Steven Seagal’s Under Siege Led the Way For The Fugitive?
The 1992 action thriller starring Steven Seagal Under Siege was a box office hit. The movie made $156.6 million on a budget of $35 million. It became one of the biggest successes of the director Andrew Davis, and he was soon offered to direct another action thriller starring Harrison Ford.
American film producer Stephen Joel Brown has shared that the 1992 film not only “elevated Andy [Andrew Davis],” but also proved that the director could handle even big projects, especially action thrillers. The producer shared that after seeing the 1992 film the studio was sure Davis would be perfect for directing The Fugitive.
Along with the producers, the star of the movie, Harrison Ford, was also highly impressed by the director’s work in the film. The Under Siege director shared that he met Arnold Kopelson, The Fugitive producer, at the Under Siege premiere afterparty, and he told him that he was aware of his next movie.
Soon after this meeting, Davis got a call from the head of Warner Brothers production, Bruce Berman, who congratulated him before saying, “Harrison Ford saw Under Siege over the weekend, and he wants you to make The Fugitive.” The 1992 action thriller, as expected, went on to be a big hit and one of the biggest movies of Ford’s career.
Andrew Davis Struggled to Reunite With Steven Seagal
Actor Steven Seagal made his silver screen debut with the crime action film Above the Law. The movie was directed by none other than Andrew Davis and helped to launch Seagal’s career in Hollywood. The duo reunited for the 1992 film Under Siege, starring Seagal as the Navy SEAL-turned-ship’s cook, who defends the USS Missouri against an ex-CIA operative-turned-terrorist.
However, the director was not too thrilled about their reunion. Davis claimed that The Patriot actor’s behavior changed too much since his debut in the 1988 movie. “He was a pain in the neck,” the director said.
He further stated that he had become arrogant while his co-star Tommy Lee Jones was “ lot more of Under Siege than Steven Seagal!” Despite their differences, they managed to work on the movie, which became a critical and commercial success, and also landed two Oscar nominations.
Source: Rolling Stone
