Anne Heche Details Heroic Truth About Harrison Ford
Hollywood in the '90s was a much different place than it is today. The "don't ask, don't tell" mindset of sexuality was rooted in everyday society, and that was reflected in the movies and TV at the time. Society was on the brink of change, however, and up-and-coming actress Anne Heche, and her then girlfriend, Ellen DeGeneres were leading the charge. Unfortunately, Heche got caught in the crossfires of an industry stuck in an antiquated perception of what happily-ever-after should look like, and her career suffered for it (via Film Daily).
While DeGeneres was able to use her budding relationship and the buzz it created to her advantage by airing a groundbreaking episode of her then popular sitcom, Ellen, featuring the coming out of main character Ellen Morgan, landing a major Oprah interview, and a featured spot on the now famous Time Magazine cover with the phrase, "Yep, I'm gay," as the headline, Heche did not fair as well (via History and Time). After film executives threatened to fire Heche from the set of the rom-com, Six Day, Seven Nights, the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed that it was co-star Harrison Ford that not only saved her job, but stood by her unwaveringly during that controversial time (via People).
Anne Heche considers Harrison Ford a hero for supporting her
On her final episode of Dancing With the Stars, Heche opened up about attending the premiere of her action movie Volcano as a couple with DeGeneres back in 1997. It's hard to imagine now, but that simple act not only got her escorted out of the venue by security, but cost her a multimillion-dollar movie deal and virtually ostracized her in Hollywood for 10 years (via USA Today).
Finding support amongst colleagues wasn't easy for Heche at the time, but the 51-year-old actress revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she found a hero in veteran actor Harrison Ford. When threatened with her role in the movie Six Days, Seven Nights, a film about an unlikely pair getting stranded on a deserted island, she recalled getting a phone call from Ford, "He called me the day after they said I wasn't gonna get it, because I took Ellen to the [Volcano] premiere, and Harrison Ford, he was a hero. He said, 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn who you're sleeping with. We're gonna make the best romantic comedy there is and I'll see ya on the set.'" Heche went on to adoringly state, "He's one of my heroes. He fought a battle for me and I would be on any desert island with him any day. He's an extraordinary human being."
Anne Heche has no regrets about going public with her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres
While it was difficult to find work for many years even after the relationship with DeGeneres ended in 2000, Heche has no regrets about falling for the famous comedian or for the stand she took at the time. In a recent interview with Mr. Warburton magazine, she explained, "I am proud that I took a stand early in my life for LGBTQ rights, and I would do it again, even knowing its consequences on my career."
That one decision not to hide her relationship from the public eye changed the trajectory of her life, but it ultimately changed the world for the better. In talking with Entertainment Tonight, Heche poignantly revealed, "I was a part of a revolution that helped move equality forward. I would not have been able to do that if I had not fallen in love with Ellen. There is nothing more that I wear with a privilege in my life than being a person who has told the truth, and stands up for it. There is no timeline for truth. I live in love and that's it."