I think you mean "Alec."
Did you hear about the kid who asked Guiness for his autograph and told him he'd seen Star Wars over 100 times and Sir "Alec" would only agree to sign it if the kid promised him he would never watch Star Wars again? Yup, true story. And Sir "Alec" has said on more than one occasion that he thought the Star Wars films were "complete and utter rubbish."
Actors do a job to get paid. 90% of the scripts they get handed are garbage and often they take the work when they can get it. Unless you are as big as Harrison Ford and have the power to pass on most of those scripts but judging from Ford's career the last 10 years he's done just as many duds as McGregor has.
Yes, "Dave" I heard that story. I also heard the one about Richard Gear and a gerbel and that one about you in a Minneapolis airport bathroom.
D Yeah, I know it's Gere ... was going to see how many quotation marks you would use before you got bored, but then I got bored with it.) However, I tend to take them for what they are ... stories. Much like the supposed Ewan interview. I am always amazed at how we (and I mean the whole forum culture that thrives today) argue with each other and demand proof of everything. However, the minute some second hand hearsay is printed, we accept it for fact. Could the story be true? Sure. But, as someone else pointed out, until Ewan issues the words officially, I am going to classify it all as rumor.
But let's assume the Guinness story is true. You never told someone who was irritating you something out of anger? I love Star Wars, but would probably still make a smirky comment if someone was bragging about watching the film 100 times ... and that was supposedly back in the early 90s.
As for "doing a job to get paid", that's what modern actors do ... much like modern athletes. Anything for a buck, screw the strength of the work. And, I am sure there were some old school actors who did the same thing. But people like Guiness didn't just take a role to make a house payment. In 1977, he was both financial well-off and a name actor (Lucas himself has said that Guinness and Cushing were the "matinee" names that gave the producers enough confidence to accept a largely unknown cast).
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000027/ Take a look at his movie history. I don't see many "paycheck" movies listed there. Don't assume that just because most of the people have no work/ personal ethic, that Sir Guinness didn't. I wish I could find the interview. But, on at least one occasion, he told an interviewer that he didn't like the life that Star Wars had taken on. How he had agreed to do the script because it was interesting and unique. Don't believe if you don't want to. That's your right.
P.S. As for Ford making as many duds, that doesn't mean he made all those movies just for the money. Many big name actors have strange "what the heck were they thinking" roles listed in their resume. We are so quick to assume it was for a big paycheck. But, who's to say they didn't like the script or subject matter? Having a name and plenty of money gives you a lot more freedom. You don't have to worry about bad reviews because the public loves you and you are financially well off enough to survive any fallout.
