A visibly emotional Harrison Ford accepted the SAG-AFTRA Lifetime Achievement Award at the Actors Awards ceremony.
Ford was handed this award by friend and fellow actor, Woody Harrelson, and was spotted getting quite tearful as he accepted the accolade. His illustrious career includes iconic roles like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Beginning his speech by saying he was quite "humbled", Ford said: “I feel incredibly grateful for this kind attention, but to be clear I also am quite humbled".
He continued: “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,” he quipped. “It’s 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?".
Elsewhere, Harrison Ford paid homage to those who paved the way and opened doors for him along the way through his career.
The actor admitted that he "struggled for about 15 years", before adding that "none of this happened on my own", which saw him mention directors George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, manager Patricia McQueeney and casting director Fred Roos, for their help in shaping his career.
Ford went on to explain how he was a “little lost", when he was in college, before he “found the company” of people putting on plays who he “thought were misfits and geeks” but “turned out to be my people”. “I found a calling, a life in storytelling, an identity in pretending to be other people. The work I do with other actors is one of the great joys of my life".
Thanking everyone who he has worked with during his career, Ford added: “Sometimes we make entertainment, sometimes we make art. Sometimes we’re lucky to make ’em 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,” a tearful Ford added. “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".
“I want to say thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart, to my peers, to my extraordinary beautiful wife, Calista, and my family, who have given me love and courage through all of it, and thank you to SAG-AFTRA for honouring me with this prize. This is very encouraging,” Ford concluded.
Last year, Harrison Ford also landed his first ever Emmy Award nomination for his role in the Apple TV+ comedy, 'Shrinking'.
