This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

Human Or Replicant? Ford Says 'Blade Runner' Mystery Unresolved

The actor tells HuffPost, “It’s really a question that is part of the fabric of this thing.”

Welp, that was quick.

After 35 years, it seemed Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford had finally settled their disagreement over whether or not Ford's "Blade Runner" character is a replicant, aka an android. Scott, the director of "Blade Runner," has continued to say Ford's character Rick Deckard is a replicant, while the actor has disagreed, saying he's human.

In a recent video from Vice, Ford claimed his discussion with Scott over the matter had been "resolved." Now, it seems that's not the case.

Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros

While talking with HuffPost, Ford first said that the fact that people still discuss the question of Deckard's humanity "indicates the quality of the discourse, of the importance of that question of what it means to be human."

He told us, "I think it's quite well known that my attitude about the character when I was working with Ridley was that the audience would require or would feel more comfortable if there's an assurance that at least one person on the screen was of their animal nature. They might be encouraged to have an emotional representative on screen, but I think my question and my confidence in my answer was more important than getting Ridley's support or acquiescence."

Ford believes the mystery is essential.

"It's really a question that is part of the fabric of this thing, and it's proved to be of interest to many people or of amusement to many people, so just leave it lay like that," he said.

Fans may still be pondering the question after the actor's new movie, "Blade Runner 2049," hits theaters this October. As director Denis Villeneuve has already said in interviews, he believes the question itself "is more interesting than the answer." Though, in his personal life, Ford can't "just leave it lay."

The actor wanted it to be clear that there was no argument between he and Scott, saying, "It wasn't a fight. There was nothing to be resolved. We were always working partners with respect for each other," but he added that they continue to discuss the question to this day, as long as a few drinks are involved.

"When we have the good fortune to spend some time together, we usually end up still talking about it," Ford said with a laugh, "but not until after the second drink."

Is Deckard a replicant? Is he human?

Just the fact that Ford is still interested in discussing it all these years later says something about the significance of the question.

When we asked about how he similarly reprised another of his roles, Han Solo in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Ford chose to move on to another question, saying, "I think we did our due diligence in respect of the past."

Stephen Vaughan/Warner Bros

The actor wanted to keep the topic of discussion focused on "Blade Runner," which you can't blame him for, considering early social media reactions say the film is a "masterpiece."

In terms of the differences between filming "Blade Runner 2049" and coming back to film "Star Wars," Ford did say, "Everything."

"The history of the stories that we tell, the kind of story we tell, the idiom, the particular kind of film language we're dealing with, the people involved, the specific story, [and] what kind of an audience we anticipate having ― it's as different as it can be."

When he was approached by Scott with a novella the original director had put together with one of the original writers, Hampton Fancher, Ford was "excited" about the potential that there was another Deckard story to be told. Now that he's seen what new director Villeneuve has put together, he's "delighted."

"It's a rippin' good yarn. Every aspect of it pleases me. The look of it, the other actors, the detail, the complexity, the quality of the whole event."

"Blade Runner 2049" comes to theaters Oct. 6.

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.