It’s bad news for Oscars fans as Harrison Ford, 82, has had to cancel his appearance at the last minute, stepping down as a presenter just one day before the event itself. Ford had been expected to present alongside industry greats such as Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, and Emma Stone.
This bit of bad news comes after Ford was diagnosed with shingles as reported in an Entertainment Weekly exclusive. The Indiana Jones star dropped out of the event yesterday morning, March 1, but is reportedly “doing okay” and is resting after the diagnosis, which is serious and can lead to further complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes shingles as a “painful rash illness” caused by the Herpes Zoster virus, the same virus which causes chickenpox. Later in life, this virus can reactivate and cause shingles. The CDC says it’s not possible to contract shingles from someone else, but it is possible to get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you’ve never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine before.
Ford is understood to be in generally quite good health, to the point where during filming for 1923, the Yellowstone spin-off, he’s described having to film atop a horse as “not that difficult” in a People magazine exclusive. He’s described himself as in general good health, which will be a relief to fans given this recent diagnosis. This bodes well in the long term, but in the more immediate sense, his absence will leave a hole in the Oscars lineup.
Though his one and only Academy Award nomination was for his 1985 film Witness, he’s enjoyed a long and lucrative career in the industry. He’s been both a Star Wars star and the face of the Indiana Jones franchise, both beloved movie universes popular with fans all over the world. Needless to say, fans of the actor were looking forward to seeing him on stage during the evening ceremony.
Renowned for his impressive career, the man is still acting, even though he’s described his career as emotional gravitas he brings to the characters he play, (like the one in Apple Plus’ Shrinking, where he portrays a doctor with Parkinson’s disease that left viewers crying).
His absence will definitely be felt even though it’s probable someone else has already been drafted in at short notice to fill the role. Still, his legions of fans do have his recent appearance at the SAG Awards where he appeared with his co-star and on-screen love interest Wendy Malick, and with some rest and recuperation it’s likely we’ll all see Ford back on our screens in next to no time at all.
Published: Mar 2, 2025 12:01 pm