by The Mischievous Duo: When Harrison Ford and Billy Dee Williams Pranked Their Empire Strikes Back Director
In 1980, the highly anticipated sequel to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, was in production at Elstree Studios in England. The set was filled with excitement but also tension, as the cast and crew worked hard to meet the high expectations set by the groundbreaking first film. Among the returning cast were Harrison Ford as the swashbuckling Han Solo and Billy Dee Williams as the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian. Though the filming was intense, Ford and Williams brought some much-needed comic relief to the set with their infamous prank on director Irvin Kershner.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ford recounted the details of the silly prank he and Williams pulled on Kershner while shooting a scene on the Cloud City set. As experienced pranksters who enjoyed keeping the mood light, the duo hatched a plan to catch their director off guard. They decided to hide a small firecracker in the ventilation shaft above Kershner’s on-set office and set it off when he least expected it.
“Billy and I had way too much time on our hands between takes,” laughed Ford. “We started wandering around the Cloud City set and found this perfect little space right above Kersh’s office. Before we knew it, we had rigged up a firecracker that we could ignite from a distance.”
Always game for a good laugh, Williams helped Ford carefully position the firecracker and wire it to a remote trigger. The two troublemakers could barely contain their giggles as they scurried away to wait for their prank to commence.
“We picked the perfect moment when Kersh was right in the middle of revising the script,” said Ford. “On my signal, Billy hit the trigger and that firecracker let out the loudest pop! We watched from around the corner as Kersh jumped straight up out of his chair. He knew it had to be us.”
Indeed, Kershner was no fool. He was well aware of Ford and Williams’ reputation as on-set pranksters. From putting fake snakes in James Earl Jones’ boots to rigging Carrie Fisher’s dressing room door with trick gum, the pair were constantly keeping the cast and crew on their toes with their silly antics.
“Harrison and Billy were notorious jokesters,” said Kershner. “They always had something up their sleeves, so when that firecracker exploded above my head, I knew right away who the culprits were.”
After the initial shock wore off, Kershner emerged from his office to find Ford and Williams bent over in hysterics. Though he tried to look stern, even the director couldn’t help cracking a smile at his stars’ ridiculous prank.
“Their laughter was contagious,” chuckled Kershner. “I knew I should discipline them, but I couldn’t help joining in on the fun. They really broke the tension that day.”
Indeed, the Star Wars set was known for being highly intense as the groundbreaking special effects pushed cast and crew to their limits. Joking around was Ford and Williams’ way of easing the stress and making the long days more enjoyable. Though Kershner pretended to scold them, the prank ended up giving the entire production team a much-needed laugh.
Reminiscing on the firecracker incident, Ford regards it as one of the silliest but most memorable moments of his career.
“What can I say – Billy and I were a couple of kids in a candy store making that movie,” said Ford. “We knew we could push the limits a little and get away with it. The firecracker wasn’t going to hurt anyone. It was just a moment of pure mischief to keep things exciting.”
For Williams, the prank remains a highlight of his time working on The Empire Strikes Back.
“We were blowing off steam and making each other laugh in between the complex scenes,” recalled Williams. “Harrison has such a quick wit and wild sense of humor – he was always cracking me up. Rigging up that firecracker was the kind of nonsense we got up to back then. We kept the energy up with our antics.”
Though it terrified Kershner in the moment, the director agrees that Ford and Williams’ firecracker joke ended up being a welcome break amid the intense production schedule.
“It was obviously disruptive having a firecracker go off when I was trying to work, but I couldn’t actually be mad at them,” said Kershner. “Their enthusiasm was infectious. If I had cracked down on their pranks too hard, I think we would have lost something special on that set. I let them get away with it because they made filming fun.”
The legendary director, who passed away in 2010 at age 95, recognized that Ford and Williams’ on-set high jinks were all part of the creative process for the innovative sequel. Their playfulness and willingness to take risks resulted in capturing the perfect cocky chemistry between Han Solo and Lando Calrissian on film.
“They brought so much energy and spontaneity to their roles,” said Kershner. “Cracking jokes, pulling pranks, thinking on their feet – that was Han and Lando. I was never going to stand in the way of the magic happening between them.”
Though the firecracker prank made him jump in the moment, Kershner later appreciated it for the burst of fun it brought to a demanding film shoot. It was the kind of thing that helped everyone decompress and gave the crew a chance to be human together.
“Sometimes you need to be able to laugh while working on a project as massive as Star Wars,” explained Kershner. “As a director, I understood that.”
Ford agrees that his and Williams’ shared sense of humor was a vital ingredient in their on-screen chemistry as two charming scoundrels. Their playful personalities shone through in every witty exchange between Han and Lando.
“Billy was always the perfect partner in crime for those pranks,” chuckled Ford. “He could match me joke for joke. I think that’s part of what made our dynamic pop on screen. You can’t manufacture that kind of spontaneity.”
The mischievous firecracker prank remains a legendary example of Ford and Williams’ natural rapport that brought such levity and fun to filming the iconic sequel. Though their jokes sometimes went a bit too far, the laughs were usually worth it.
“To be honest, I wish I could take credit for the best pranks they pulled,” laughed Kershner. “But I have to hand it to them – they came up with some doozies I never would have thought of.”
From the Millennium Falcon cockpit to the chaotic Bespin hallways, Han and Lando’s witty banter and slippery alliances lit up the screen in The Empire Strikes Back. Ford attributes much of that to the off-camera fun he and Williams had together as friends and collaborators.
“When you’re making a movie that big, you have to hold on to your sense of humor,” said Ford. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime than Billy. We kept each other laughing every day.”
Though the firecracker prank stands out as an especially silly behind-the-scenes moment, it encapsulates the roguish camaraderie Ford and Williams brought to their roles. Their real-life friendship shone through in every scene as scoundrels causing mischief together in a galaxy far, far away.
“Looking back, our jokes seem so juvenile,” said Ford. “But they helped make long days on set way more fun. I think Billy and I did our best work when we were just having a blast being idiots together. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
After four decades, Ford still looks back on the firecracker prank as one of the most legendary hijinks of his esteemed career. Though it panicked Kershner in the moment, the director later appreciated the way it lightened the mood and brought infectious joy to the demanding Empire Strikes Back set. Like Han and Lando’s unforgettable on-screen alliance, Ford and Williams’ real-life friendship generated the perfect blend of playfulness and chemistry that captivated audiences in the acclaimed sequel.
“I owe Billy big time for being my partner in crime and keeping me laughing even in the toughest moments,” said Ford. “On screen and off, we definitely knew how to have way too much fun together. That silly firecracker stunt sums it all up.”
So the next time you watch Han and Lando’s classic scenes full of quick-witted humor and charismatic comradery, remember the mischief happening behind the scenes. Ford and Williams brought their friendship to life on camera by never taking themselves too seriously. Though their firecracker prank startled Kershner, it epitomized the roguish joy and laughter that made The Empire Strikes Back such an unforgettable adventure. Even decades later, it remains one of Hollywood’s most hilarious tales of infamous friends and partners in crime keeping things light in a galaxy far, far away.
