Chasing After the Soldiers
of Black Hawk Down

I feel like we don't get that many great war movies nowadays. There's a good one now and then, but back in the 90s and early 2000s, they practically dominated the film industry. We had Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, and my personal favorite, Black Hawk Down.

Have you seen Black Hawk Down? It's based on the real 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, when American soldiers were sent into Somalia's capital on a mission to capture two of a warlord's lieutenants. When two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, they found themselves surrounded by militia fighters and had to fight their way through the city to safety. It's one of the most riveting Ridley Scott films I've ever seen.

The film also featured one of the best casts I've ever seen. Led by Josh Hartnett, it also starred Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, Tom Hardy, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Hugh Dancy, Jeremy Piven, Jason Isaacs, and more. That's practically an all-star ensemble of future Hollywood names.

I wish I could've been there at the premiere to get all their autographs. That night would've exhausted me, but I'd've loved every minute. I don't dislike a single actor in this cast, and that's pretty rare nowadays.

Fortunately, many of the cast are still active, and I've met several of them over the years.

It started when I met Josh Hartnett at the world premiere of Penny Dreadful at the High Line Hotel in New York on May 6, 2014. He was as handsome as ever, and very nice when I asked for his autograph.

Later that year, my friends and I attended the London premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and I finally met Orlando Bloom in person. Like Hartnett, he was so friendly when I asked him to sign my Black Hawk Down movie poster that I found the courage to ask him to sign a Hobbit movie poster, too.

Seeing Tom Hardy at the 2015 LA premiere of Mad Max: Fury Road was also a highlight. He had become one of my favorite actors by then, starring in another favorite of mine, The Dark Knight Rises. I was most excited to get his autograph, and I was so glad that he was delightful throughout our interaction.

I also became a bigger fan of Ewan McGregor since then. I liked him when I saw Black Hawk Down in 2001, but I loved him even more over the years. I finally met him at the Golden Globes in 2018, when he won Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for Fargo. I saw him on the red carpet before the ceremony, and he signed the same poster as everyone else.

Having met several of the cast over the years, I realized part of why movies were so much better then was that we had an embarrassment of riches in truly talented actors. Many of these men have since become icons and legends.