Harrison Ford to get lifetime acting award

Harrison Ford will receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award at the Actor Awards in March. Photo / Getty Images

Harrison Ford is to be given a lifetime achievement award from the main union representing Hollywood actors, the organisation has announced.

Ford, whose decades on the big and small screen have included some of the most famous roles in cinema, will be given the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award as part of the rebranded Actor Awards – formerly the Screen Actors Guild Awards – in March.

The prize, which SAG-AFTRA gives annually to a performer who embodies “finest ideals of the acting profession”, is the latest recognition for a man whose characters – from Indiana Jones to Han Solo – are part of the cultural fabric of the 20th and 21st centuries.

“Harrison Ford is a singular presence in American life; an actor whose iconic characters have shaped world culture,” SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin said.

“His career has been endlessly exciting, always returning to his love of acting. We are honoured to celebrate a legend whose impact on our craft is indelible.”

Ford, who worked as a carpenter before hitting the big time as Bob Falfa in George Lucas’ 1973 film American Graffiti, said he was “deeply honoured” to be chosen as the recipient of the prestigious prize.

“To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me,” he said.

“I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.”

As well as his recurring roles in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, Ford is perhaps best known for his portrayal of replicant hunter Rick Deckard in 1982’s Blade Runner, a role he reprised 35 years later in Blade Runner 2049.

Television audiences have come to know him in recent years from his work alongside Oscar-winner Helen Mirren in the Western drama 1923, as well as the comedy-drama Shrinking.

Previous recipients of the award include Robert De Niro, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman and Elizabeth Taylor.

The 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA will be held on March 1, and will be streamed live on Netflix.

-Agence France-Presse