Helen Mirren recently opened up about a powerful moment on the set of 1923 

when she saw Harrison Ford confronting the trauma of his near-fatal plane crash firsthand. 

Ford, who stars alongside Mirren in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel, channeled his real-life experience into a harrowing scene from the show.

Revisiting Trauma Through Acting

While reflecting on her experience working with Ford, Mirren recalled how their very first scene together in 1923 eerily mirrored Ford’s past. 

In the scene, Ford’s character, Jacob Dutton, is brought into the kitchen, covered in blood and near death after an ambush. 

According to Mirren, Ford later admitted that the moment reminded him of his own life-threatening accident.

“He’s been carried into the kitchen, dying and covered in blood, and later Harrison did say to me, ‘That was how I was after the accident,’” Mirren revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

The accident Ford referenced was his 2015 plane crash, which left him with severe injuries and had a lasting impact on both his personal life and career. Mirren believes the traumatic experience changed Ford’s outlook, adding, “I think, maybe, going through that experience just gave him a very different understanding of what it is to be a sentient human being.”

A Near-Fatal Crash That Still Haunts Him

Harrison Ford has been a licensed pilot for years, but his passion for flying nearly cost him his life in 2015. While piloting a vintage World War II-era plane over Los Angeles, Ford experienced engine failure and was forced to make an emergency landing. His aircraft crash-landed on a golf course, leaving him with head injuries, broken bones, and a severely scraped arm.

At the time, Ford’s family was deeply affected by the accident, and he later acknowledged that the experience stayed with him, influencing his approach to acting.

In a 2023 interview with People, Ford reflected on how many moments in 1923 paralleled his own life.

“When the scripts were coming, I was struck by how many major moments in my character’s life had a substantial and not coincidental shadow of the same things in my life,” he said.

One particular moment stood out to Ford while filming 1923.

“I watched a rehearsal with a stand-in being brought into the kitchen, and Helen [Mirren] coming in, sweeping everything off the counter, taking command,” Ford recalled. “Even when I talk about it now, it emotionally relates to the airplane crash I had and what my wife went through.”

A Role That Feels Personal

Although Ford has moved past his plane crash, it remains a defining moment in his life, one that he now channels into his work.

“There have been five or six of those kinds of things that have shown up in the script, and it’s really remarkable,” he told People. “There’s something that feels bigger than myself, and it’s great to be able to serve these ideas.”

1923, the second spinoff of Yellowstone, follows the Dutton family as they navigate the challenges of the early 20th century, including the Spanish flu pandemic, the Great Depression, and Prohibition. Ford and Mirren play Jacob and Cara Dutton, a married couple struggling to keep their Montana ranch alive.

Ford and Mirren’s Blind Faith in the Project

Both Ford and Mirren took a leap of faith when joining 1923. Neither actor had seen a script before signing on, but they trusted Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling abilities.

Ford, who also joined projects like Shrinking and Captain America: Brave New World without reading a script, said he made his decision based on Sheridan’s reputation.

“Again, no script,” Ford admitted to The Wall Street Journal. “Why not? I saw enough Marvels to see actors that I admired having a good time.”

Similarly, Mirren was intrigued by the Yellowstone universe and the historical era the show portrayed.

“I wasn’t hugely familiar with the whole thing. What interested me about 1923, I did see 1883, and that era of American history has always really fascinated me,” she told Variety.

She added that Ford’s involvement sealed the deal for her.

“The fact that Harrison was going to be involved was very important for me. Both of us committed to it without really reading any scripts,” Mirren said. “We didn’t really know what we were signing up for… the specifics of what we were signing up for. We had trust in Taylor’s extraordinary abilities as a writer, and we took a leap of faith.”

A Deeper Connection to the Role

For Ford, 1923 has become more than just another acting job. The series has allowed him to explore deeply personal themes, including survival, resilience, and the weight of past trauma. His near-fatal plane crash continues to shape his performances, adding an extra layer of authenticity to his portrayal of Jacob Dutton.

With 1923 renewed for a second season, Ford will have more opportunities to dive into his character’s emotional depth. And as Mirren’s observations show, his real-life experiences continue to shape his work in profound ways.

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