Harrison Ford and Joel Edgerton talk kilts, castles and their new Highlands-inspired Glenmorangie whisky short film series
Once Upon a Time in Scotland sees Edgerton direct Ford on a Scottish sojourn to the home of scotch whisky.
Whether as Blade Runner’s Deckard, mulling the meaning of artificial life, or Indiana Jones numbing the bruises of another 12 rounds spent bashing Nazis, Harrison Ford’s onscreen counterparts can often be found with a glass of Scotch in hand.
It’s only natural then, when fellow actor and director Joel Edgerton (Revenge of the Sith, Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty) was asked to shoot a new series of shorts around Glenmorangie whisky’s Highland inspiration, that he turned to Ford to star in it.
Edgerton directs Ford in Glenmorangie’s new Once Upon a Time in Scotland series — 12 episodes that see Ford travel to Glenmorangie’s Highland home to get a behind-the-scenes look at the intricate flavour-enhancing processes perfected at the Tain distillery.
That signature scotch-swigging onscreen persona isn’t too far removed from Ford’s natural taste — in moderation, it’s his drink of choice when the cameras stop rolling.
“It’s actually what I would like to drink. If they bring me tea, I’m terribly disappointed,” says Ford of his characters’ penchant for the strong stuff.
“I think I was influenced by my father, who drank Scotch. I started drinking it after college and started enjoying the varieties and the breadth of the Scotch experience. It is typical of me, at the end of a day to have a glass, a wee bit of Scotch. It’s just one thing I don’t have to act, if I’m drinking Scotch. I don’t have to drink a gin martini and pretend to like it.”
Kilts and comedy capers
That natural sense of self was something that Edgerton, making his directorial debut in the advertising world, wanted Ford to lean into.
“We planned these short stories to shoot in Scotland, but although we were going to work together, we’d never met each other,” reveals Edgerton.
“So, when I was in LA, I asked Harrison to have lunch with me to introduce myself. We started talking, and the first thing you said was that you were worried that they wanted you to ride horses and fly planes. That was essentially the tenor of the first story that we’d written: “I don’t want to do all this tough guy sh*t – I just want to relax by the fire.”
“We had lots of opportunity to noodle around with it,” adds Ford.
“Nobody stopped us. Which I imagine is pretty rare in the world that we’re working in. My father used to be in advertising, and I remember how bureaucratic it all is. I think it’s a tribute to [Glenmorangie’s] sensibilities that they let us be less than totally serious.
“Whatever it is that we did, it was hung on a strong hook. And it was literally just us. The narrative was: There’s this guy, he’s an actor, he goes off to make this commercial in Scotland, and this is what it’s like. For me it was just fun to take the p*ss out of myself. I think it has a certain charm to it, because it’s unpretentious and just amusing.”
Edgerton is part of a growing trend of actors and directors making art in the ad world, with the likes of Guy Ritchie and John Woo making the swap, while Ridley Scott, Jonathan Glazer and Zack Snyder made the jump in the opposite direction, from the world of advertising into feature films. There was a desire to break down some of the stuffiness sometimes associated with top-shelf whisky, too.
“I’ve spent my whole life watching commercials in a particular form and I really like it when things are a little disruptive, fun, and irreverent, and don’t take themselves too seriously,” says Edgerton.
“It was nice that we got a chance within the very traditional industry of whisky, to get behind the scenes, to show what seriousness often goes into a campaign and have fun with that.”
Despite the globe (and galaxy)-trotting characters the pair have portrayed over the years, (both being veterans of the Star Wars franchise), it was the first time either had been to Scotland. And with free rein of creative control for the campaign, the pair took full advantage of their picturesque, historic surroundings – and to shoot some “off-script” moments of hilarity.
“One day we were chatting, and you said: ‘I want to ride a bike around the castle.’” recalls Edgerton of a trip to the 19th century Andross Castle.
“And I said: “Ok, I never thought about that, but let’s get a bike.” So then we pulled in a bike because no one was telling us that we couldn’t. They let us off the leash!”
“My other favourite moment in our first meeting was when I realised that at some point I would have to ask: “Can I put you in a kilt?” I had no idea what your response was going to be. Obviously, it turned out positively. But when you first looked at me, I thought: ‘Ohhh, I don’t know if this is going to land well.’”
Yes, you will get to see Harrison Ford in a kilt. And the actor, lovingly known for his curmudgeonly attitude, was game to play against type and let his comedic side shine through — sometimes in very…revealing situations.
“I remember that we had the idea of the conversation between myself and Darren, my invisible agent, and it had been written to be while I was folding clothes to travel. And I asked you: ‘How about we just do it in a bathtub?!’”
Distilling natural talent
Hollywood stalwarts, Edgerton and Ford roped in the team at the Tain distillery for some scenes too, rather than padding out the cast with extras.
“I thought they were all great. I loved it,” says Ford, who gets to perfect the (somewhat embryonic) Scottish accent he tries out in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with the help of some bona-fide Highland locals.
“It’s more fun to see the texture and the imperfection of things than to just have everything glossy and smooth. Everything we went to do turned out to be full of unanticipated joys. The little moments in each one of those vignettes that we did not expect. We accommodated the realities of the people and what we were doing, in a way that I think improved the result.”
“The guys in the Distillery were awesome,” enthuses Edgerton.
“Working with non-actors could have terrified Glenmorangie, but they trusted us, and I think it paid off. I was quietly nervous about it, but it seemed like a great opportunity and actually, it elevated everything. Looking back, it makes me feel better that we did that. I’d love to know how Alan in the warehouse is getting on, how they’re treating him now… I bet he’s got a lot of dates right now!”
Edgerton got a renewed appreciation for the liquid during the filming, too, with the Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old and Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old the barrelled-and-bottled supporting stars of the series.
“If I’m going to drink whisky, I want to drink nice whisky,” he says. “In fact, there were some whiskies that we tried in the presence of Glenmorangie’s Master Distiller that were pretty spectacular.”
That Master Distiller was Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, recognised a world-leader in wood management, and on this year’s New Year Honours list to be awarded an MBE for his services to the scotch whisky industry.
“It was a really interesting experience to spend time with Dr Bill,” reflects Ford.
“We went to the Distillery and saw the beautiful old buildings, and in the midst of them there’s a modern high-rise of all of four storeys. And we got the tour of that and discovered that it’s the “test kitchen” for the Master Distiller.
“I was compelled by the opportunity to sit with him and try and explain what my taste experience was with different whiskies. And to begin to understand the fine-point distinctions of different elements of flavour. And to be able to describe my own experience to him.”
And though Ford doesn’t appear to be the next in a long line of celebrities to lend his name to a limited edition dram, it does seem that Lumsden is cooking up something especially for the Star Wars star.
“He is working on a whisky to knock my socks off. If anybody can do it, I would imagine it would be him. I’m very excited to taste the results.”
The trip left a lasting impression on Ford.
“I had the best time,” he reflects. “I think what Joel has produced has a certain charm to it, because it’s unpretentious and just amusing.”
“I had not anticipated what it would be like to be in Scotland. But what was really interesting to me is that you go to Scotland and you just say goodbye to wherever you came from, because you’re in Scotland.”