Harrison Ford was all set to present at the 2025 Oscars — the 97th Academy Awards. Then, out of nowhere, he backed out. So, why’d he drop out just hours before the big night in LA?
As always, tonight’s packed with huge awards, and the Best Picture category is super competitive this time. Films like Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, and Wicked are all in the mix.
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Just last week, Ford was officially announced as one of the presenters, joining big names like Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Samuel L. Jackson, and Zoe Saldaña. Then, boom. Plans changed.
Harrison Ford drops out of the Oscars at the last minute
Ford’s out, and stepping in for him? His Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill.
His publicist confirmed to ABC that Ford had to pull out after getting diagnosed with shingles on Saturday, March 1.
Entertainment Weekly reported that despite having to cancel, he’s “doing OK” physically.
Shingles diagnosis and its symptoms
According to Mayo Clinic, “shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Shingles can occur anywhere on your body.”
Most commonly, it shows up as a “single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.”
The NHS adds that symptoms can include headaches and just feeling generally unwell.
Definitely not something you want to be dealing with — especially on live television.
Concerns over Ford’s health were already growing
This isn’t the first time people have been worried about Ford’s health. Just last year, when he showed up at Disney’s D23 Expo, fans couldn’t help but notice he seemed… off.
In August, he was honored for his legendary contributions to Lucasfilm. As part of the event, he pressed his hands into cement — huge moment.
But instead of just celebrating, a lot of people were more focused on how he looked.
Social media reactions to his frail appearance
When he was signing his name next to his handprints, Ford appeared to be using one hand to hold up the other.
Good Morning America posted the moment on Instagram, and people noticed right away.
One person commented, “He does not look well,” while another wrote, “Congrats to him, but it breaks my heart to see him so frail.”
Still, many focused on celebrating his achievements
Lots of people were just happy to see him being recognized.
One fan wrote, “His smile has always been my fav,” while another pointed out, “Loved how when Mickey touched him on the shoulder … instantly he smiled!!! The magical world Disney!”
