He is a replicant, Scott was quoted as telling Britain's Channel 4 television, referring to the genetically engineered androids Ford's 21st-century Los Angeles cop is charged with tracking down.

Film fans have debated the character's nature since Scott released his director's cut of the movie in 1992.

A commercial flop when it was initially released _ with a studio-imposed voiceover and a tacked-on happy ending _ Blade Runner became a cult classic.