Hollywood Hotline Interview

1989

Q: How did you like having Sean Connery play your father in "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade ?"

A: I was pleased. There were some other thoughts about different ways to go. There was an early concept of Indiana's father as a wise old Yoda type. I don't think that would have worked as well as having somebody of the strength of Sean--and you really see the source of that strength. I think it was a brilliant idea to bring Sean in.

Q: Whose idea was it to have Connery play Indiana Jones' father?

A: It was Steven Spielberg's idea to have Sean Connery.

Q: Do you have any thoughts about your on-screen comedic rapport with Connery?

A: A couple of those scenes were like vaudeville routines. It was great fun working on that stuff with him. It was something we fell into pretty easily. I was stuck with my part, I knew what I was supposed to be doing and Sean found his place very rapidly. It was a question of just give and take, passing the ball at the right time, seeing who was open.

Q: Would you say that Indiana Jones develops a certain faith in religion after finding something as revered as the Holy Grail actually exists?

A: Let's say that he's non-denominational, that what we're talking about is a belief in--well, this is filmmaker territory and I just work here. I don't feel responsible for the framing of the myths and I don't quite know how to respond to the question. I mean it's an identification of a scheme of thematics but I don't find a question in it exactly. But I recognize what you're talking about. I think these are powerful myths that have been re-told in a different way. Certainly Indiana and more so his father in this case, has an interest. But you see, he always starts out as a bit of a cynic, and then these metaphysical moments convince him that there's more out there than what he had imagined. So, basically it's just a way of moving our cynic to another position. There's some progress in his personality which is affected by this.

Q: Do you feel it's possible that the reason the second film didn't touch audiences the way the first one did, and the way this one is going to, is because at the end there was a roller coaster ride and no metaphysical element?

A: Well, there was a lot of mystic crypto stuff in it, but I don't think it convinced the audience. I don't think it affect ed the audience as emotionally as we would have liked it too. And again, the second one was a real conscious attempt to take a character that we knew one way and take him for a walk on the dark side.

Q: Did you find making the three Indiana Jones films fun?

A: There's not just the fun of acting--which is fun for me--I like it even when there isn't running, jumping and falling down. But when you have all that running, jumping and falling down, there's an extra something--it's boy's camp--and you've got the best toys any boy's ever had. There's a great playfulness in it.

Q: How do you account for the success of such slapstick like the scene where Indiana gets Adolph Hitler to autograph his book?

A: That's so stupid, it could only be Steven (Spielberg)--nobody else could do something like that and get away with it. It works for him because there's a child-like glee in it that's part of the whole process. It's not just dumb, it's dumb and inspired and gleeful and--I don't know, but it does work for Steven most of the time.

Q: Your female lead, Alison Doody, says that you are a great kisser. What do you have to say about that?

A: She's right.

Q: How did you feel about working with 2500 hundred rats for that one scene in the Venice sewers?

A: It didn't bother me.

Q: Did you think it bothered Alison Doody to do those scenes?

A: I think you'd have to ask her.

Q: Out of the three types of vermin that you've worked with in each of the films, snakes, cockroaches and rats respectively, which would you say is the most difficult?

A: They're all the same to me. The only hard thing is keeping them on the set. You tend to lose a lot of snakes, roaches and rats.

Q: How many days were there of shooting the scenes with the rats?

A: At least ten days with the rats. It was actually the rat droppings and the water that made it the most uncomfortable.

Q: There's been reports that this will be the last Indiana Jones movie, can you comment on that?

A: Read my lips; Bye-bye Indiana! Look, nobody's got any intention of doing another. We set out to do three films if we could all agree on the sum and substance of them. Now George (Lucas) says that he doesn't want to make another one, Steven (Spielberg) says that he's completely off the case and I'm happy enough to let it go also.

Q: Sean Connery said he wouldn't mind doing one again if it worked.

A: Well, there you are. He's learned never to say never again.

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