Somehow, we live in on a planet where Harrison Ford doesn’t have an actual Academy Award. This, despite being the world’s biggest still-living male movie star, who shaped generations. Well, according to Deadline, he will at least now have a SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award to his name. This is the guild’s highest honor, recognizing both career and humanitarian accomplishments. Ford will formally accept this award in March during the 32nd annual awards show. Below is SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin’s statement (yeah, as in Samwise Sean Astin) on Ford’s newest accolade, which he will receive in a ceremony streaming on Netflix next spring:
Harrison Ford is a singular presence in American life; an actor whose iconic characters have shaped world culture. His career has been endlessly exciting, always returning to his love of acting. We are honored to celebrate a legend whose impact on our craft is indelible.
In a statement, Ford said, “To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me. I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews. And I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.” He might be a gruff and grumpy ol’ “get off my lawn” grandpa now, but we wouldn’t have him any other way. He’s our gruff and grumpy ol’ grandpa, collectively.
Harrison Ford was a struggling actor who spent his twenties in bit roles in smaller movies. And he was about to give up acting when George Lucas cast him in Star Wars in 1976. After creating an iconic performance in Lucas’ trilogy, he topped it with five Indiana Jones films, along with Blade Runner, Witness, The Fugitive, two Tom Clancy movies, the thriller What Lies Beneath, and too many more to mention. The definition of the word “movie star,” no one deserves this award from his fellow actors more than Harrison Ford.