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Harrison Ford is top-billed in the opening credits ofThe Fugitive.
Jane Lynch isnt listed at all.
Its kind of a thing, she says.
It has to be people who love movies.
Because it is a great movie, and it did well.
People still watch it, and its still celebrated.
Thats becauseThe Fugitiveis loaded with smart performances, sharp dialogue and propulsive, old-school action set pieces.
Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble, a Chicago surgeon convicted of murdering his beautiful wife (Sela Ward).
After a heart-stopping train-meets-bus-crash, he goes on the lam, and Tommy Lee Joness U.S. (You just read that sentence in Joness Texan snarl, didnt you?).
It wasnt even the only big-screen adaptation of a 1960s TV series that season.
(Dennis the Menace, anyone?)
But the clever cat-and-mouse interplay between Ford and Jones proved to be irresistible.
(Jones won in the Supporting Actor category.)
Lynch was a Chicago-area comedy improv star when she got tapped to play Dr. Kathy Wahlund.
Its not a big role but it had a plot point, Lynch says.
A lot of the other local hires in the movie just played a cop and said a couple lines.
Shes also been hosting NBCs revival ofThe Weakest Linksince 2020.
Before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Lynch gave winning answers about the movie that started it all.
How does a Chicago comedy star end up inThe Fugitive?
There must be a good story.It was a surprise to me.
I played Carol Brady.
And I got a call from my agent who said, You have this offer to be inThe Fugitive.
And I was like, What?!
I knew it was coming through town.
This agent couldnt even get me an audition!
And Andy … Oh, God, the director.
Andrew Davis directed the movie.Yeah, yeah.
I actually just saw him at the airport!
And so he hired me.
I remember I made $8000.
I almost dropped when she told me that.
That was a lot of money!
WasThe Fugitiveproduction a much-to-do around town?It was a huge deal.
As a seasoned stage actress, did you have lofty big-screen aspirations?Oh, yes.
Everybody wanted the brass ring.
Like, Yeah, I dont want to go to Hollywood.
Id rather stay here in Chicago!
I never trusted that.
I was doing commercial auditions and booked a few.
I was starting to do voiceover work.
I was probably making a living at that point.
I know I had stopped temping.
I dont know if I even read the script in advance.
You know, in those days, it was just, Hey, you got the part.
I think thats how it went down.
All I know is that Im jumping up and down because Im going to be in this movie.
Ill tell you what I know.
They thought it was more powerful if he was grieving for his wife the whole time.
Thats what motivated him.
She was the love of his life.
I think that made it a much more intense and compelling and emotional story for him.
Was your role bigger as well?Its pretty much to scale.
But I was cut from the scene in the beginning.
So the first time we see you, youre being interrogated by two U.S.
But not Tommy Lee Jones.I think I was in a scene with him.
I remember working with him.
But maybe it was cut.
Who was more intimidating: Tommy Lee Jones or Harrison Ford?Ummm … Tommy Lee Jones.
Theyre both kind of gruff but Harrison Ford was really nice to me.
It was a rainy day.
He said, Jane and I are gonna figure this out.
And he grabbed my arm, and he put an umbrella over both of us.
We went to his trailer and worked on the lines together.
And then we came back and did the scene.
Was it the scene when youre looking at liver tissue samples under a microscope?Yeah, that one!
And he added the line, Kath, you beaut.
Didnt he also give you some advice?Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
We were both shocked as we were looking at whatever was in the liver sample.
He was being funny but its very true.
Unless you want to look really shocked or stupid, you cant drop your jaw like that.
I thought it was great, great advice.
I had a trailer too!
Theyre called Honeywagons, and they were for the supporting cast.
Its not like we were extras and they put us in a big room.
No offense to extras.
We had a place to hang out, and you talked with the other actors.
They dont just bring them in later into the scene because theyre stars and youre not!
If youre speaking a line, youre an actor.
Youre getting your makeup and hair done with them.
You work with the same wardrobe people.
But I know Harrison had a Gulf Stream trailer situation.
Youre not looking at the reviews.
Youre not thinking, Oh my God, am I in the trailer?
Why not?It wasnt about that for us.
Well, Ill speak for myself.
I was just about tending to my little career.
That meant everything to me.
Were you invited to the premiere?No, no.
But I went to a screening for the local cast and crew at Pipers Alley Mall in Chicago.
It was so exciting.
And Im checking myself out and then you go back to the movie.
Chicago is a true character in it.
I think it is.
But I know that they do dye the river green.
That was agreat scene.
SoThe Fugitiveturns out to be this box-office smash and gets nominated for Best Picture.
How did it impact you professionally?This is the first Ive heard that it wasnominated for Best Picture.
I did not know that.
I did move to Los Angeles right as it came out to meet with people.
This was back in the day when youd send out postcards with your headshot on it.
I ended up meeting a lot of them and getting auditions.
But I dont think I got a role just based on what I did in the movie.
The Fugitivewas a rare non-comedy for you.
I never consciously wanted to be a particular kind of actor.
I just wanted to audition and was happy to get the next job.
But now Im older.
I no longer have that white-hot hunger.
Thats been over for quite a while.
But Ive seen [Fords wife] Calista Flockhart a few times.
And what are the fan interactions like?
Its not likeVice Versa.
I mean, nobody knows me fromVice Versa.God bless it, but it didnt stand the test of time.
Then why do you thinkThe Fugitivestill holds up?Oh, its a masterful film.
And Harrison Ford yells, I didnt kill my wife!
And Tommy Lee Jones goes, I dont care!
Hes got a job to do and bring in this fugitive.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
