Described As A “Timeless American Treasure,” Harrison Ford Was Touched To Be Honored By His Acting Peers
On March 1, many of the biggest names in Hollywood gathered for the 32nd Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, honoring excellence in acting among members of the Screen Actors Guild.
Among the actors honored was one who has been in some of the biggest films of the 20th century: Harrison Ford.
Except for Ford, it wasn’t one role he was being honored for… Instead, it was for a lifetime of roles, as he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Introduced by Woody Harrelson as “a timeless American treasure,” and ushered on stage to the sound of John Williams’ iconic “Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ford — who has come to be known over the years for his no-nonsense, and even curmudgeonly, approach to interviews and speeches — was visibly moved from the start.
“I feel incredibly grateful for this kind of attention, but, to be clear, I also am quite humbled,” stated Ford. “I’m in a room of actors, many of whom are here because they’ve been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I’m here to receive a prize for being alive.”
The 83-year-old actor then quipped, “That said, it is a little weird to be getting a lifetime achievement award at the half-point of my career. It’s a little early, isn’t it? I’m still a working actor.”
Pivoting to the start of his career as the laughter died down, Ford said, “I was not an overnight success. I struggled for about 15 years — going from acting job to carpentry and back to acting — until I finally got a part in a wildly successful film.”
Ford never uttered the title of that film, but everyone knew it was Star Wars (1977), and he went on to say, “None of this happened on my own. Thank you, George Lucas. Thank you, Steven Spielberg.”
As Han Solo in Lucas’ Star Wars, and later on as Indiana Jones in Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ford solidified his status as one of the great entertainers of his time, imbuing his roles with an unbothered humanity and a dry sense of humor. He would go on to star in films like Blade Runner (1982), The Fugitive (1993), Air Force One (1997), and much more — even taking some recent turns on the small screen, acting in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923.
Continuing, Ford also thanked the late Patricia McQueeney, who was his manager for many decades; and the late Fred Roos, who was Francis Ford Coppola’s casting director, casting Ford in Lucas’ American Graffiti (1973) and in a brief part in Coppola’s The Conversation (1974).
“I would not be here without them,” Ford said. “[McQueeney and Roos are] no longer with us, but it feels important that I thank them now. I feel them here tonight. They would be happy for me.”
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Ford Reflects On The Value Of His Work As An Actor
“In my third year of college, I was a little lost,” Ford admitted. “I was failing at school. I felt isolated and alone, and then I found a company of people putting on plays: storytellers. People I once thought were misfits and geeks turned out to be my people.”
From that experience at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, Ford said, “I found a calling, a life in storytelling. An identity in pretending to be other people.”
Ford then stated:
“The work I do with other actors is one of the great joys of my life. My career is built on their work, as well as the work of writers, directors, and every single cast member, every crew member I’ve ever been on the set with. I’ve had incredible collaborators at every step of the way, and being able to deliver the work we create together to an audience is an honor and a privilege.”
Knowingly, he added, “Because of that privilege, I have come to know myself.”
Further, he said, “Ours is a tough business to get into. In my case, it’s been a tough business to get out of, thank God, because I love what I do.”
Expounding upon his work, “As actors, we get to live many lives. We get to explore ideas that affirm and elevate our shared experience. The stories we tell have a unique capacity to create moments of emotional connection. They bring us together.”
Nearing the end of his remarks, Ford said, “While we’re all at different stages of our lives and careers in this room, we all share something fundamental: we share the privilege of working in the world of ideas, of empathy, of imagination.”
Powerfully, he stated, “Sometimes we make entertainment. Sometimes we make art. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we make them both at the same time, and, if we’re really fortunate, we also get to make a living doing it.”
“Success in this business brings a certain freedom that comes with responsibility to support each other, to lift others up when we can. To keep the door open for the next kid — the next lost boy who’s looking for a place to belong. I’m indeed a lucky guy. Lucky to have found my people. Lucky to have work that challenges me. Lucky to still be doing it, and I don’t take that for granted.“
Throughout his speech, Ford’s wife, Calista Flockhart, could be seen beaming with pride as she watched on from her table, notably seated beside Michael J. Fox.
Of his wife, Ford thanked her for how she has “given him love and courage.”
Concluding his remarks, he exhibited his signature dry humor, stating, “Thank you to SAG-AFTRA for honoring me with this prize. This is very encouraging.”
Watch Harrison Ford’s moving acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd Actor Awards, here:
Watch Woody Harrelson’s humorous introduction honoring Harrison Ford at the 32nd Actor Awards, here:
