Eight years ago Newark Star-Ledger film critic Stephen J. Whitty asked Harrison Ford about Marshall Fine’s notion that stinking rich film stars should consider using their power and freedom to make small personal indie-style films, and “he thought I was crazy,” Whitty reports.

“Ford isn’t just an actor but a movie star, too — not just a celebrity but a commodity. He’s extremely aware of how long he chased success in Hollywood, acutely conscious of the business of the show business he’s in. And he’s at peace with that. [During our interview to promote Kathryn Bigelow‘s K9], “the words ‘money’, ‘business’, ‘job’ and ‘earning a living’ tunred up often in his answers. The words ‘art’, ‘craft’, ‘calling’ or ‘profession’ weren’t mentioned once.

“Take, for example, the question of low-budget, independent films. Most big-name actors say they’d love to do one, if the right part came along. A few — Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon, Samuel L. Jackson — have actually gone ahead and taken the chance. So if some bright young kid with a digicam came up to Ford with a semi-improvised script and an idea for a fast and dirty 14-day-shoot…

“The hypothetical wasn’t even finished before Ford’s mouth twisted a little in impatience.

“‘You’ve created a scenario that’s very easy for me to say no to,’ he said. ‘This is a business for me. I have things to do with my time when I’m not earning a living, and I do pretty much tend to practice this as a job. If I’m going to take on a challenge I want it to be something where I can devote a certain period of time, make my nut and then go home.'”