Michael Kelly recalls filming Jack Ryan Ghost War in Dubai — The National
American actor Michael Kelly spoke about filming a scene at a height of around 40 storeys in Dubai, UAE, for Jack Ryan: Ghost War. His character, CIA veteran Mike November, had to exit a building toward a crane. In an interview with The National, the actor admitted that he initially underestimated his own fear of heights.
During the briefing, Kelly stood on a metal grate through which the ground was visible and unconsciously held onto railings on both sides. When the stunt coordinator asked whether he was comfortable and then said he could let go of the railings, the actor realized that he had been gripping them tightly the whole time.
Kelly noted that he understood he was safe, but looking down caused fear. According to him, once filming began and he got into character, that feeling subsided.
Rehearsal before filming
A few days before filming, the team asked the actor to walk the route without a safety harness to determine whether he would feel comfortable. John Krasinski, who plays Jack Ryan, sent Kelly a video from the location in advance: wearing a helmet, he showed the filming site and the height.
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Kelly said performing the scene at night was easier than looking down in daylight. He added that he immediately agreed to the episode because he enjoys working on such scenes.
Impressions of Dubai and a spin-off idea
Jack Ryan: Ghost War, which was released on Prime Video in May, continued the story after four seasons of the series. Along with Kelly and Krasinski, Wendell Pierce appeared in the film as James Greer, while Sienna Miller joined the cast as MI6 officer Emma Marlowe. In the story, the characters arrive in Dubai on an intelligence mission and find themselves confronting an uncontrolled operation.
The actor also said that he returned to Dubai at the invitation of people he met while working there. He visited the desert, rode in a buggy and highly praised the hospitality of the city’s residents. Kelly added that he pitched the creators an idea for a spin-off about Mike November, but did not disclose details of the proposal.
