Joke’s on Us

Once again, I can’t divulge much about my current project except in the context of my own personal experiences minus any identifying information.  So instead I’ll tell the story of a joke that Harrison Ford played on a few of us during the last show.

I was sitting outside the set, which was a real-life “clean room” located inside a currently-unoccupied high tech facility near Portland.  Harrison was in his wardrobe, which included an official-looking long white lab coat.  I was on top of an extra desk left over from set dressing (on top because we had no extra chairs to go with the extra desk), working on my computer, probably writing my blog, come to think of it, when he wandered by me, smiled a bit oddly, and then began walking over to a large rolling cart which contained dozens of set dressing items, mostly office equipment, that had been rejected for use in the set.  They were all brand spanking new, and there were some clever objects in with the usual file folders, desk pads, pen-holders, lamps, and the like.

Two PA’s were standing by the door to the set, waiting for the camera to get set up for the next shot—as we all were, including Harrison.  We all pretended not to notice when Harrison began examining the pieces of set dressing on the cart, and then picked up a very interesting accordion-style file holder made of brushed aluminum—it was quite handsome, and it looked like a metal box until you pulled it open, and it became a stepped series of vertical shelves for holding papers and notes.

Harrison made some sounds of admiration as he pulled it open and shut it a few times.  Then he looked around to see if anyone was watching.  Of course we all were, but we didn’t want him to know that, so we studied the floor or the computer screen when he glanced our way.

After checking to make sure nobody was looking at him, he picked up the shelf unit, stuck it under his coat, and began slinking toward the exit.  When we burst out laughing he turned around and hurriedly put the shelf back on the cart.

After thinking about it, I went inside and told our set dresser what Harrison had done, and we removed the shelf unit from the cart while Harrison was back inside the set with the camera rolling.  I put a blue bow made of masking tape on the thing and wrote a note: “For Harrison, from the Art Department”.  I gave it to his driver, who put it into his trailer for him to find when he wrapped the scene.

In that way that you always think of what you should have said, long after the fact, I have ever since regretted that I didn’t add: “PS - Next time, just ask!”