Harrison Ford has become a major fan of baseball pioneer Branch Rickey after researching the late New York Dodgers general manager for a new sports movie.
The veteran actor chose to delve into his real-life character's history after signing on to play Rickey in new movie 42, which chronicles the baseball boss' friendship with the sport's first African-American Major League player and Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson.
Ford tells USA Today newspaper, "The more research I did, the more impressed I was... Anything I could find, I used. I discovered he did things too numerous to count."
He hopes the film, which hits cinemas next year (13), will be more than just a history lesson to moviegoers - but will help recall a time when black men weren't welcome in locker rooms and dug-outs.
He adds, "It's hard to remember the difficulty between the races... Their (Rickey and Robinson) story demonstrates the best of American character."
Meanwhile, Ford admits he turned to British actor Sir Ben Kingsley for advice about how to play a real-life person on film.
The Star Wars star explains, "There are two ways to play (a historical figure). One way is to confine yourself to represent a real person in a narrow vein. The other is to use it as an opportunity. He (Kingsley) said it's an opportunity to use the (real) man as a mask that tells the truth. That's what I wanted to do."
Baseball Hall of Fame member Wesley Branch Rickey is largely credited with breaking Major League Baseball's colour barrier by signing Jackie Robinson, and for drafting the first Hispanic superstar, Roberto Clemente. He also introduced the batting helmet.
It's been 35 years since Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic, which was set in 2019....
Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is an LAPD law enforcer and a new Blade Runner whose...
The official announcement trailer for 'Blade Runner 2049' is finally here and while we still...
Appealing both to a new generation of viewers and fans of the series since the...
After the victory of the Rebel Alliance over the Galactic Empire and subsequent demolition of...
It's been thirty years since the Rebel Alliance; led by the noble Luke Skywalker, the...
The cast and crew of the hugely anticipated upcoming 'Star Wars' movie 'The Force Awakens'...
Secret Cinema's Star Wars event is a mind-blowing experience of a lifetime for any Star...
Like Benjamin Button, this drama plays around with the human lifespan, is slickly produced and...
30 years ago, the Rebel Alliance struck their killing blow against the Galactic Empire. The...
The Rebel Alliance struck a terrific blow to the Galactic Empire with the destruction of...
The galaxy is in turmoil. A Rebel Alliance is rising up against the villainous Galactic...
The Rebel Alliance has fallen into an incredibly dark time. With the destruction of their...