How Harrison Ford Hilariously Sabotaged His Dial Of Destiny Costar

In James Mangold's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," Jones (Harrison Ford) goes on a globe-trotting adventure with his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) to locate pieces and details about the titular widget, a temporal compass constructed by Archimedes. Helena is a sassy, criminal artifacts trader with a heart of gold, and she has left a trail of broken hearts and loyal followers in her wake; the makers of "Dial of Destiny" were likely trying to set up a spinoff film franchise with Helena at the helm. 

One of the heroine's more loyal sidekicks is her connection in Morocca, Teddy (Ethann Isidore). Teddy is about 12 or 13, and dreams of flying airplanes, receiving oral lessons from other pilots who pass through town. When Indy and Helena pass through town, pursued by vicious Nazi stooges, Teddy will instantly be swept up in their intrigue, dragged along into various vehicles and locations without much time to think. By the end of the film, Teddy is flying a plane through a legitimate war zone. 

Actor Isidore was about 15 when he shot "Dial of Destiny," the actor's first major feature film. One might not be able to imagine the thrill experienced by an upcoming teenage performer beginning their career opposite Harrison Ford on the set of a major Hollywood production. Right out of the gate, Isidore already had Funko Pop figurines being sculpted in his likeness. In a 2023 interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Isidore talked about his experience shooting the film, and how the 81-year-old Ford kept trying to deliberately distract him during his more serious scenes. 

Harrison Ford carries with him a "grumpy" image, an image that seems to play itself out in publicity interviews. Back in 2006, Conan O'Brien even asked Ford about his "grumpy" image, and he noted that his taciturn attitude in interviews should not reflect on his character in the slightest, as he is not a grumpy person, except maybe first thing in the morning. Despite his dispelling of the myth, Ford's reputation still precedes him. Indeed, Ethann Isidore noted that making Harrison Ford laugh should still be considered a grand triumph. 

Isidore revealed that he and Ford seemingly entered into an unspoken agreement to prod each other and make each other laugh during their scenes together. Ford seems to have liked Isidore enough to sabotage his co-star's scenes. When the director wasn't looking, Ford would mug at Isidore, trying to get him to "crack." Isidore recalled: 

"When you make Harrison laugh, you do feel really proud of yourself, basically like you could make anyone laugh. But I had the time of my life making jokes with him and we'd make fun of each other. I remember James Mangold kept telling me to concentrate because I was laughing too much during one scene, but it was just because Harrison was making faces. So it was all Harrison's fault." 

Sadly, "Dial of Destiny" wasn't the type of movie to include a blooper reel over its credits, so these moments will remain whimsical memories for the actors. Isidore also mentioned that Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge gave him an electric guitar and co-signed a letter of thanks for being such a great co-worker. He has the letter hanging on the wall of his room.