Harrison Ford reflects on career as he receives Life Achievement Award at 2026 Actor Awards

Harrison Ford became visibly emotional as he accepted the Life Achievement Award at the 2026 Actor Awards on Sunday.

The 83-year-old actor delivered an eight-minute speech when presented with the honour by friend Woody Harrelson.

“Sometimes we make entertainment; sometimes we make art. Sometimes we’re lucky to make both at the same time, and if we’re really fortunate, we get to make a living doing it,” Ford said as he took the stage.

Ford then described success as a privilege that carries responsibility, urging fellow actors to support one another and “keep the door open for the next kid” searching for a place in the industry.

Calling himself “a lucky guy,” he said he does not take his decades-long career for granted.

He closed by thanking his peers, SAG-AFTRA, and his family, with a special praise for his wife of more than 15 years, Calista Flockhart.

Ford also paid tribute to collaborators who helped define his legacy, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, casting director Fred Roos, and longtime manager Patricia McQueeny.

He joked that he remains “at the halfway point” of his career, adding, “In my case, it’s been a tough business to get out of. Thank God, because I love what I do.”

According to SAG-AFTRA, the Life Achievement Award is presented annually to an actor who embodies the profession’s highest ideals.

Harrison Ford broke out in 1973’s American Graffiti and became a star as Han Solo in Star Wars and in the Indiana Jones series. He also appeared in Blade Runner, Witness, Working Girl, and The Age of Adeline, and returned to TV in 2022 with 1923 opposite Helen Mirren.

Previous Life Achievement Award recipients have included Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, Sally Field, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Carol Burnett.