Harrison Ford is the latest actor to receive a Life Achievement Award from SAG-AFTRA, America’s labor union for entertainment and media professionals. Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) Life Achievement Award will be the latest recognition in Ford’s six-decade career.
Over the years, Ford has captivated global audiences with genre-defining performances and characters, while also contributing to various humanitarian and environmental causes.
He will be presented with the union’s top tribute for his career and humanitarian accomplishments at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards, which will stream live on Netflix Sunday, March 1.
Ford’s film career began in the 1960s, but it was his breakthrough role as Bob Falfa in “American Graffiti” in 1973 that set the stage for the defining roles that followed. From his portrayal of Han Solo in “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” his performance helped propel the franchise into a cultural phenomenon.
Other iconic roles include his portrayal of the archaeologist Indiana Jones in Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” to “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Ford’s extensive filmography include “Blade Runner,” “The Mosquito Coast,” “Presumed Innocent,” “The Fugitive” and “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Beyond acting, Ford has been an advocate for human rights including testifying before the U.S. Senate in support of the Dalai Lama and has voiced his political views across several presidential election cycles. He also supports global archaeological preservation as a General Trustee of the Archaeological Institute of America.
He is the 61st recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor. Previous honorees of this prestigious accolade include Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood and Sidney Poitier.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince
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