Harrison Ford took Yellowstone prequel 1923 role because of good writing – Star Wars actor on switching to TV and telling an ‘epic’ story

The series traces the ancestors of Yellowstone’s Dutton clan, and Harrison Ford says it is ‘a very complicated and ambitious – epic, even – undertaking’

The film actor says his move to TV is ‘following the good writing’. He is not the only Hollywood star on the series – Helen Mirren and Timothy Dalton co-star

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Harrison Ford, who stars in Yellowstone prequel 1923, says he took the role because of good writing. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:15pm, 19 Dec 2022

Harrison Ford has rarely bothered with television since Star Wars propelled him to A-list movie fame nearly half a century ago – but that is about to change with small-screen Western 1923.

Spun off from Yellowstone, a modern-day cowboy saga that has become a rare cable television ratings juggernaut in the US, Ford’s prequel series traces the ancestors of the wealthy, ruthless Dutton clan and their sprawling Montana ranch.

“It’s a very complicated and ambitious – epic, even – undertaking, this story,” said Ford at the Los Angeles premiere for the show, which is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

With the show shot largely on location in Montana, Ford joked that he was lured to 1923 by the prospect of “outdoor work”.

Ford at the premiere of 1923 in Los Angeles on December 2, 2022. Photo: AFP

But Ford, who spent years working repetitive television jobs in Los Angeles before he was cast as Han Solo and Indiana Jones, is not the only Hollywood film giant to sign up for the television series.