The actor who made Harrison Ford jealous: “If I’d known he was so good I would have done it myself”
If you asked somebody to draw a quintessential movie star, chances are they would come up with an image of Harrison Ford. He is the epitome of cool, to the point where you get the impression he finds everything beneath him. Charming, handsome, quick-witted, and the face of some of cinema’s greatest products, Ford really does have it all. He’s married to Ally McBeal, for crying out loud. Doesn’t get much more Hollywood than that.
To most people, Ford is best known for one of two roles; Han Solo in the ‘Star Wars’ series and Indiana Jones. As the cardio king of the archaeologists, Indy is one of the great movie heroes. Ford has played the character in five feature films and an episode of the TV show, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He has been very adamant about not handing over his whip to another actor. He was in his early 80s when filming The Dial of Destiny, an astounding feat. He didn’t play the character in every scene, however. Anthony Ingruber provided the body for a digitally de-aged version of Jones, with Ford’s younger face superimposed in post.
However, the icon has reluctantly handed over the part on a few occasions. On the aforementioned TV show, a younger version of the character was played by Sean Patrick Flannery. In The Last Crusade, River Phoenix portrays the adventurer during his early days. Then there’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a video game published by Bethesda Softworks in 2024. Its voice cast includes Italian actor Alessandra Mastronardi and the late Tony Todd, who passed away a month or so before the game’s release. Whilst Ford’s likeness is used for the title character, his voice and motion capture is provided by video game veteran Troy Baker.
At the 2024 Game Awards, which celebrate excellence in the gaming sphere, Baker and Bethesda bigwig Todd Howard were presenting the prize for ‘Best Performance’. They were joined by Ford himself, who took the opportunity to praise his virtual counterpart. “I think this guy did a great job,” he said (via PC Gamer), shaking Baker’s hand. “If I’d known he was so good, I would have done it myself!”
The Great Circle isn’t the first Indiana Jones game, but it ranks up there with the most high-profile. Set in 1937 – between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade – the story follows Indy’s hunt for the titular phenomenon, a group of sites that form a perfect circle on a map. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic Spielbergian adventure; exotic locations; swashbuckling combat; the supernatural; Nazis. It was, in no uncertain terms, a triumph.
Players and critics alike loved The Great Circle. From its engaging plot to its challenging puzzles to its immersive world, the game feels like you’re living through one of the movies. One of the good ones, too. Baker, perhaps best known for voicing Joel Miller in the ‘Last of Us’ franchise, also received his flowers. His portrayal of Jones was unanimously praised and heralded as a champion of human performance in an industry under threat from the rise of AI.
Given how protective Ford is over Indiana Jones – and how disinterested he is in most things – Baker receiving praise from him is worth its weight in gold. The Great Circle is a fabulous addition to the Indy canon. It’s a damn sight better than The Dial of Destiny, that’s for sure.
