We try to ask Harrison Ford if he saw ‘Les Mis’ at the Actor Awards ceremony
Harrison Ford walks down the red carpet at the Actor’s Awards to be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Video Team – USA TODAY Entertainment
Harrison Ford feels it’s “a little strange to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the halfway point of your career.”
“It’s a little early,” Ford, 83, said as the crowd erupted in laughter. “I’m still a working actor.”
Ford, who received the SAG-AFTRA Lifetime Achievement Award from longtime collaborator Woody Harrelson at the 2026 Actor Awards, said he was “incredibly grateful for this.”
“This kind of consideration. But let me be clear, I’m also very humbled,” the actor said. “I’m in a room of actors. A lot of them are here because they’re nominated to win awards for great work. Whereas I’m here to accept awards for being alive.”
Thanks to Harrison Ford, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg
The actor, who started his career in the 1960s, went from acting to carpentry and back to acting, and said he struggled for about 15 years before finally “starring in a hugely successful movie.”
“None of this happened to me alone,” Ford said. “Thank you, George Lucas. Thank you, Steven Spielberg.”
He also thanked casting director Fred Ruth and manager Pat McQueenney for guiding him “through some difficult times.”
“They were both incredibly tenacious in supporting me when I really needed it,” Ford said. “I wouldn’t be here without them. Even though they’re not with us anymore, I feel it’s important to thank them.”
Harrison Ford says he found his “vocation, a life in storytelling” in acting
Ford recalled feeling lost and alone until his junior year in college when he “found a company of people who ran theater.”
“People I used to think of as misfits and nerds were actually my people,” Ford said. “I found a calling, a life, in storytelling. I’ve had amazing collaborators every step of the way. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to bring the work we created together to an audience. And because of that privilege, I’ve gotten to know myself.”
Ford joked that showbiz “was a tough business to get into” but that for him, “thank God, it was a tough business to get out of because I love what I do.”
“The fact that I get to live many lives. We get to explore ideas that affirm and enhance our shared experiences,” Ford continued. “The stories we tell have the unique ability to create moments of emotional connection. They bring us together.”
Speaking at the venue, Ford said, “In this room, we are all at different stages of our lives and careers, but we all share something fundamental. We share the privilege of working in a world of ideas, empathy, and imagination. Sometimes it’s entertainment, and sometimes it’s making art. Sometimes we’re lucky to be able to do both at the same time. And if we’re really lucky, we can make a living doing it.”
The actor, who became visibly emotional at this point, said the job also comes with a “responsibility to support each other” and to “uplift others if I can.”
“It’s to keep the door open for the next kid,” he said. “Next is a lost boy looking for his place.”
Mr. Ford concluded his speech by saying that he is a “lucky man,” lucky to have found his friends, lucky to have a rewarding job, and “lucky to still be doing it.”
“I don’t take that for granted,” Ford said, as the crowd rose to its feet and gave him a standing ovation.
The honor is given to an actor who has cultivated “the highest ideals of the acting profession,” according to a news release. “Recipients of this award are actors with a proven track record of contributing to improving the image of the acting profession and being actively involved in humanitarian and public service initiatives.”
The organization said Ford, the 61st recipient of the award, “has captivated audiences around the world with genre-defining performances and characters woven into the fabric of our culture, while also meaningfully contributing to a variety of humanitarian and environmental causes.”
In a statement, SAG-AFTRA Chairman Sean Astin described Ford as “an actor whose iconic characters have shaped world culture.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
