At last night’s Actor Awards ceremony (the one that we used to call the SAG Awards), Harrison Ford was honored with the Life Achievement Award — and I fear the word “iconic” doesn’t even do it justice.
To break the fourth wall a little, I grew up watching Star Wars, so, now that I think about it, Harrison was basically the first movie star I was ever exposed to. And for that reason, you can imagine that I was SOBBING at his acceptance speech — and so was everyone else, it seems.
After a montage of clips from his iconic career played on screen, Harrison was welcomed to the stage by his pal, Woody Harrelson. And it wasn’t long before the typically stoic movie star began to let down his guard.
Harrison began by explaining that he was “not an overnight success.” “I struggled for about 15 years, going from acting job, to carpentry and then back to acting, until I finally got a part in a wildly successful film. None of this happened on my own,” he said, looking visibly teary-eyed as he took a moment to thank Star Wars creator George Lucas, Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg, along with his longtime manager Pat McQueeney, and casting director Fred Roos.
“In my third year of college, I was a little lost. I was failing at school. I felt isolated, alone,” he continued. “And then I found the company of people putting on plays — storytellers. People I once thought were misfits and geeks turned out to be my people. I found a calling.”
“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,” he said, visibly crying.
You can watch the full 8-minute speech here. Harrison wrapped up with a poignant message to his Hollywood colleagues, and you could tell that everyone in the room was locked in on his every word.
“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,” he said. “I’m indeed a lucky guy. 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.”
Hilariously, he ended by saying: “This is very encouraging.” Perfect. Hilarious. No notes.
Cuts to the star-studded audience captured the sense of awe in the room, and the emotions were hitting just as hard for those watching at home.
On a lighter note, the montage of movie clips also gave fans the important reminder that Harrison has been and always will be one of our true Hollywood hotties. (And I’ve always said this.)
Understandably, the speech is already racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, and the comments section over there is bursting with emotion, too.
Guys, I can’t. Time for me to go back and rewatch A New Hope. Harrison, we’re lucky to have you!
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