While 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was underappreciated at the global box office, it’s gathering a growing fan base on Disney Plus, the complexity and emotion of the plot now better viewed as we live with the film while continuing to appreciate the performances of its cast. That cast included Ethann Isidore who played Helena Shaw’s sidekick Teddy, and speaking with Lucasfilm.com he discussed nabbing the role and working alongside Indy himself Harrison Ford.
The first time that actor Ethann Isidore met Harrison Ford was during the filming of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s (2023) final scene. “It was really emotional, everyone was crying on set that day,” Isidore recalls about the moment when Ford and Karen Allen have their last reunion as Indy and Marion. As is so often the case with film production, scenes are typically captured out of sequence to the actual story, and during an aside on this fateful day, the young actor playing the new character Teddy had the chance to meet one of his cinematic heroes.
“I was waiting for my turn on set,” Isidore explains, “and then they got me and said it was going to be my first time acting with Harrison Ford. I was so excited but I was also nervous. The first time I saw him, I remember thinking that I was in front of Indiana Jones and Han Solo at the same time, which blew my mind. We shook hands, and he looked at me and said, ‘Terrible casting for Teddy.’ [laughs] I was so confused, so I laughed, even though I didn’t know if it was a joke. Then I saw the whole team laughing, and Harrison started smiling at me. I realized, okay, he’s a funny guy. [laughs] I had been stressed and unsure how to act, and then he made this joke, and I knew he’d be joking all the time.”
