What Harrison Ford Said About This '80s Icon Made Steven Spielberg Lose It
Harrison Ford has never been one to sugarcoat his opinions; that's common knowledge. But, one particular comment he made in 1982 left Steven Spielberg absolutely fuming - and it involved the most beloved alien in cinema history.
The 80s icon in question wasn't a person. It was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Spielberg's deeply personal film that became the highest-grossing movie of all time and dominated pop culture throughout the decade. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who's never heard of E.T.
Ford had many reasons to feel connected to the project. His then-partner and eventual wife, Melissa Mathison, wrote the script. Ford was even instrumental in convincing her to accept the job when she was originally hesitant. Surprise, he even appeared in the film as Elliott's school principal.
@for.the.love.of.moviez Harrison Ford was originally in E.T. #ettheextraterrestial#movietrivia#trivia#ilovemovies#behindthescenes
♬ Suspense, horror, piano and music box - takaya
Except audiences never saw him. Spielberg cut Ford's cameo because he decided that his fame would be distracting to the movie. If Ford had stayed in the final cut, he would've become the first actor to star in two separate movies that became the highest-grossing releases of all time - Star Wars and E.T.
Around the time of E.T.'s theatrical release, someone asked Ford his personal thoughts on the wrinkled visitor from another planet. His response was characteristically Ford blunt.
"Two weekends ago, I called him an ugly little f---," Ford divulged. "And Steven went apeshit!"
Spielberg was understandably upset, considering E.T. is still his most personal picture and the one he's always cherished most. But Ford has never been one to do anything other than shoot from the hip, even when it means insulting his friend's beloved creation.
Harrison Ford's Unfiltered Honesty Has Kept Him Working for 40+ Years - Here's Why
That same unfiltered, brutal honesty that made Spielberg so upset in 1982 is exactly what's kept Ford working consistently for over four decades. At 83, the man's still accepting challenging roles.
"Without my work, I really wouldn't know what to do with myself," Ford recently told NPR. "I really do love the work. It constantly changes, and the people change, and the mission and the opportunity change, and it just makes for an interesting way to live your life."
Ford's genuine authenticity has defined his whole career. He famously ad-libbed Han Solo's "I know" response to Princess Leia's "I love you" in The Empire Strikes Back, insisting it was more in character than the scripted "I love you too."He wasn't wrong. Of course, George Lucas wasn't initially thrilled, but the line got a huge laugh at the San Francisco preview and became iconic. The rest is history.
Recently, Ford teared up while accepting a lifetime achievement award. His reaction? "I feel slightly embarrassed by it, because I have enough experience with these things to want to be able to manage not to be overcome."
See, even his emotions are unfiltered. Calling E.T. an ugly little f--- was just Ford being Ford - honest to a fault, uninterested in managing perceptions, and committed to saying exactly what's on his mind.
Spielberg has long since forgiven him. They went on to make the Indiana Jones films together.
And Ford's authenticity - 10/10 would recommend.
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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 12:59 AM.