Harrison Ford has recalled a memorable and awkward fan encounter, saying that a person once loudly announced in an airport, “My mother wants to sleep with you.” The actor shared the story during a recent roundtable interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he appeared alongside Glen Powell, Riz Ahmed, Owen Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Zach Braff.
During the conversation, Ford was asked about the wildest thing a fan has ever said to him. He answered with the airport comment, prompting laughter from the group. Powell jokingly responded that he did not mean it, while Ford played along and replied that Powell’s mother did not mean it either.
Ford also discussed how he views the people who approach him in public. He said he cannot easily tell whether someone is a fan of Shrinking, Indiana Jones or Star Wars, and suggested that some people carrying large posters are not true fans but autograph sellers. He explained that when people come up to him, he does not try to determine their motive and instead sees them as customers.
The 83-year-old actor has used that term before. At a Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel during San Diego Comic-Con in July 2015, Ford said he prefers calling fans customers because they are the people supporting his life, the film industry and the kinds of movies he likes to make. He said he is grateful to have them as customers and added that his background working in stores, including a stationery store and a flower shop, gave him respect for customers.
Ford’s comments reflect a longtime attitude toward fame and audience appreciation. Rather than separating himself from the people who watch his films and television work, he framed the relationship as a service role, saying that storytellers sell stories and that audiences are the ones who make that possible.
