Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is one of the highest-grossing actors in cinema history. However, the man who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones lived a very normal life before Hollywood called. For instance, he worked as a professional carpenter to support his family for years. Furthermore, he is a licensed pilot who actively rescues lost hikers in the wild. Consequently, his real life is often just as heroic as his movies. Therefore, punch it to hyperdrive and explore the secrets of this screen legend.
Harrison Ford
  1. Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter for the stars. Before he became famous, George Lucas hired him to build cabinets. Eventually, this connection led to his casting in Star Wars.
  2. He rescues people with his personal helicopter. On several occasions, he flew his chopper to save stranded hikers in Wyoming. Unlike in movies, he never charges for these rescue missions.
  3. The famous “I know” line was his idea. When Princess Leia confesses her love in The Empire Strikes Back, Ford changed the scripted response to suit his character better.
  4. A car accident caused the scar on his chin. While driving to work in the 1960s, he crashed into a telephone pole while trying to buckle his seatbelt.
  5. He improvised the gunshot scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Because he suffered from severe dysentery that day, he suggested shooting the swordsman instead of fighting him to end the scene quickly.
  6. Steven Spielberg cut him from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Originally, Ford filmed a cameo as the school principal, but the director removed the scene to keep the focus on the children.
  7. Scientists named a spider and an ant after him. specifically, the spider Calponia harrisonfordi and the ant Pheidole harrisonfordi honor his conservation work.
  8. He once worked as a roadie for The Doors. Briefly, he operated a camera for the legendary rock band during their tours in the late 1960s.
  1. He earned only $10,000 for the first Star Wars movie. Although the film became a massive hit, his initial salary was surprisingly low.
  2. He survived a serious plane crash in 2015. After his vintage WWII plane suffered engine failure, he successfully crash-landed on a golf course in Los Angeles.
  3. Harrison Ford pierced his ear at age 55. After he had lunch with Jimmy Buffett, the singer’s lifestyle inspired him to get the piercing immediately.
  4. He has no Academy Awards for acting. Despite his legendary career, the Academy only nominated him once for his role in Witness.
  5. He rejected the lead role in Jurassic Park. Consequently, Sam Neill took the part of Dr. Alan Grant after Ford turned it down.
  6. He serves as Vice Chair of Conservation International. passionately, he dedicates significant time and money to protecting biodiversity around the globe.
  7. Finally, he got his role in Star Wars by accident. George Lucas asked him to simply read lines with other actors during auditions, but Ford performed so well that Lucas cast him instead.

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Martin Roháček

Predator

You likely remember the handshake between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers as a legendary internet meme. However, Predator is far more than just muscle and machismo in the Mexican jungle. This sci-fi classic suffered through brutal heat, dangerous stunt work, and a chaotic creature design process that almost ruined the film. Furthermore, the cast included two future governors and a wrestling star. Prepare to enter the hunting ground and learn what truly happened behind the scenes.
Predator
  1. Originally, Jean-Claude Van Damme played the alien creature. However, the “Muscles from Brussels” hated the heavy, red lobster-like suit. He eventually quit the production because the costume was too hot and clumsy for his martial arts style.
  2. Surprising everyone, the studio hired bodyguards to protect the cast from Sonny Landham. The insurance company feared the actor, who played Billy, would start fights with the crew. Therefore, the guards followed him everywhere to keep the other actors safe.
  3. The movie concept started as a joke about Rocky Balboa. After Rocky IV, people joked that the boxer had defeated everyone on Earth and must fight an alien next. Consequently, screenwriters Thomas and John Thomas wrote a script called Hunter based on this idea.
  4. Technically, the Predator blood was a mix of KY Jelly and glow stick fluid. The special effects team snapped chem-lights and mixed the glowing liquid with the lubricant. Thus, the alien’s blood glowed brightly without any post-production CGI effects.
  5. Arnold Schwarzenegger suffered immensely for the mud camouflage scenes. The clay cooled his body down dangerously, and he shivered uncontrollably between takes. As a result, the crew pumped warm lamps on him constantly to prevent hypothermia.
  6. James Cameron actually suggested the iconic mandibles. During a flight, he told creature designer Stan Winston that he always wanted to see a monster with insect parts. Immediately, Winston sketched the famous face that we see in the final Predator film.
  7. Director John McTiernan broke the wrist of the actor inside the suit. In a scene where the monster smashes a wall, the stuntman hit the prop too hard. Unfortunately, the alien hand was so heavy that the impact snapped his real bone.
  8. Shane Black was cast solely to fix the script on set. The producers knew the writer of Lethal Weapon would be useful for rewrites. So, they gave him the role of Hawkins to keep him close during the difficult shoot.
  1. Surprisingly, the famous minigun had to be slowed down. The gun fired so fast that the spinning barrels looked invisible on camera. Therefore, the armorers reduced the firing rate so the audience could actually see the weapon rotating.
  2. The voice of Optimus Prime created the Predator’s clicking sounds. Voice actor Peter Cullen looked at the creature’s messy face and remembered a dying horseshoe crab. He used that memory to create the terrifying, clicking purr.
  3. Most of the cast suffered from severe diarrhea. The hotel in Mexico had issues with water filtration, which made the actors sick for weeks. Reportedly, only Arnold Schwarzenegger and director John McTiernan avoided the illness by eating their own food.
  4. The thermal vision scenes were a logistical nightmare. The Mexican jungle was so hot that the heat-sensing camera could not distinguish the actors from the trees. Consequently, they had to spray the trees with ice water to create contrast.
  5. Jesse Ventura was delighted to have larger biceps than Arnold. The costume department measured his arms as one inch bigger than the star’s arms. Later, he found out that Arnold had pranked him by telling the wardrobe team to lie.
  6. Originally, the movie was titled Hunter. The studio only changed the name to Predator late in the production process. They felt the new title sounded much more menacing and marketable for a sci-fi action film.
  7. Finally, the massive actor inside the final suit was Kevin Peter Hall. Standing over seven feet tall, he towered over the bodybuilders in the cast. Tragically, he passed away just a few years later, but his performance remains legendary.

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Oscar Statuette

Every year, millions of Americans tune in to watch Hollywood's brightest stars weep, cheer, and clutch a little golden man on stage. But behind the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards lies a fascinating history baked right into that iconic trophy. From top-secret wartime makeovers to surprisingly strict ownership rules, the Oscar statuette holds more secrets than a classic film noir. Let us pull back the velvet curtain and explore what really makes this little guy so legendary.
Oscar detailed

  1. He is heavier than he looks. If you ever get the chance to hold an Oscar, prepare for a workout, because this solid bronze trophy weighs in at a hefty eight and a half pounds.

  2. His real name is quite a mouthful. While the whole world calls him Oscar, his official government name is actually the Academy Award of Merit.

  3. The nickname remains a total mystery. Legend says an Academy librarian thought the statue looked exactly like her Uncle Oscar, but Bette Davis also claimed she named the award after her first husband.

  4. He is a knight in shining armor. If you look closely at the design, Oscar actually depicts a crusader knight gripping a broadsword, standing proudly on a reel of film.

  5. The film reel hides a specific meaning. The reel he stands on features exactly five spokes, which represent the five original branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers.

  6. He went on a diet during World War II. Because the military desperately needed metal for the war effort, the Academy handed out painted plaster Oscars for three whole years. Winners later traded these temporary trophies for metal ones. 

  7. You literally cannot sell him. Before a winner can take their trophy home, they must sign a strict agreement. If they ever want to sell the award, they must offer it back to the Academy first for the grand price of one single dollar.

  8. Artisans craft him in New York. While the awards happen in Los Angeles, a fine art foundry in the Hudson Valley hand-casts and polishes the statuettes.

  1. Making just one takes serious time. A dedicated team of artisans spends about three solid months producing fifty statuettes for the big night.

  2. They always bring extras. Because the Academy never knows exactly how many people will win in categories with multiple nominees, producers always keep a few extra golden guys waiting in the wings.

  3. The winners remain totally secret until the envelope opens. To keep things incredibly secure, organizers do not attach the nameplates to the statues during the ceremony. Instead, they screw the plates on at the Governor’s Ball afterward.

  4. He had a brief identity crisis. In the very early days of the ceremony, the Academy experimented with a few different finishes before settling on the stunning 24-karat gold plating we know today.

  1. Thieves once hijacked a massive shipment. Back in 2000, someone stole a delivery truck carrying 55 brand new Oscars, though police eventually recovered most of the trophies near a trash can in Los Angeles.

  2. Only one person named Oscar has ever won an Oscar Statuette. The famous composer Oscar Hammerstein II took home two trophies, making him the only guy to share a name with his award.

  3. Oscar Statuette is absolutely priceless. While the actual metal and gold plating only cost a few hundred dollars to manufacture, the immense cultural weight and prestige of the statuette make it the most valuable prize in entertainment history.

 

Sources & References

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/statuette

The L.A. Film School: https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/oscar-fun-facts/

Marketplace: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2015/02/20/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-oscars

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