Why Harrison Ford won't be presenting at 2025 Oscars after suddenly dropping out
Here's the reason why Harrison Ford has dropped out of the Oscars hours before proceedings in Los Angeles were set to take place.
This is the 97th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with a ton of Oscars up for grabs tonight which include Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Supporting actor.
Best Picture is of particular interest to film lovers, with the likes of Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two and Wicked nominated for the award.
Last week, Ford was announced as one of the presenters for the awards show, alongside the likes of Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Samuel L. Jackson and Zoe Saldaña.
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However, Ford has since been replaced by Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill, with the former's publicist confirming to ABC that the legendary actor has dropped out of the Oscars after being diagnosed with shingles on Saturday (March 1).
Entertainment Weekly reports that Ford is 'doing OK' physically despite dropping out.
UNILAD has reached out to Ford's representatives for comment.
According to Mayo Clinic, 'shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Shingles can occur anywhere on your body'.
Typically, obvious symptoms include a 'single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso'.
A headache or feeling generally unwell are further symptoms, according to the NHS.
Last year, Ford's public appearance at Disney’s D23 Expo left some fans concerned, amid recent health concerns.
Ford received an award honoring him in August last year for his legendary contributions to Lucasfilm.
To commemorate this, Ford imprinted his hands into the cement, but his appearance left many of his fans worried.
When signing his name next to his hands, Harrison appeared to be using his adjacent hand to hold up the other.
Good Morning America posted the recorded events on Instagram and many picked up on it.
One user typed: “He does not look well,” whilst another wrote: “Congrats to him, but it breaks my heart to see him so frail.”
However, the majority of comments focused on Ford's incredible achievement, with one enthused fan penning on social media: “His smile has always been my fav,” as another wrote: “Loved how when Mickey touched him on the shoulder … instantly he smiled!!! The magical world Disney!”
The most shocking Oscars moments ever
Angelina Jolie locks lips with her brother on the red carpet (2000)
A sweet shoutout from Jolie to her brother James Haven after winning Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted turned into something much more bizarre on the red carpet after the event.
Jolie said during her acceptance speech: "I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now.
"He just held me and said he loved me, and I know he’s so happy for me. And, um, thank you for that."
So far so innocuous, but the pair then went on to lock lips on the red carpet after the ceremony in front of paparazzi.
Reflecting on the incident in 2007, James said: “I did not give Angie a French kiss. It was something simple and lovely. She was about to go off to Mexico to finish filming Original Sin with Antonio Banderas.
"I congratulated her on the Oscar win and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. It was snapped and became a big thing."
Adrien Brody surprises Halle Berry with a kiss after winning Best Actor (2003)
The last time Brody was up for Best Actor, he took Berry and everyone else by surprise when he passionately kissed her as she presented him with the award.
Berry said in 2017: “I was like, ‘What the f**k is happening right now?’ That is what was going through my mind.”
She was sympathetic for how the moment may have gone to Brody’s head, however, adding: “I was there the year before and I know the feeling of being out of your body, I just f**king went with it.”
On the campaign trail for The Brutalist this year, Bordy said of the moment in an interview with Variety: “We live in a very conscious time, which is a wonderful thing.
“And nothing that I ever do or have done or would’ve done is ever done with the intention of making anyone feel bad.”
John Travolta absolutely butchers Idina Menzel’s name (2014)
Most people would have no trouble pronouncing Frozen star Idina Menzel’s name, but John Travolta isn’t most people.
The Grease legend ended up calling her Adele Dazeem when welcoming to her onstage to perform. Quite how he arrived at that pronunciation is anyone’s guess.
Travolta later apologised, saying in a statement: “I've been beating myself up all day. Then I thought ... what would Idina Menzel say? She’d say, 'Let it go, let it go!'
“Idina is incredibly talented and I am so happy Frozen took home two Oscars Sunday night!"
The La La Land and Moonlight fiasco (2017)
Back in 2017, the most prestigious award of the night, Best Film, was about to be announced.
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the gong had gone to La La Land, the Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone musical which was widely considered the favourite to win.
Two and half minutes later, when the La La Land team were midway through their acceptance speeches, a producer on the film Jordan Horowitz was shown another envelope that revealed they hadn’t won after all.
There’s a mistake," he said. "Moonlight, you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke.”
It turned out Beatty had somehow been handed the envelope for Best Actress, which went to Emma Stone for La La Land earlier in the evening.
It turned into a mortifying experience for all involved. Moonlight director Barry Jenkins said afterwards: “I noticed the commotion but I was speechless when the result was altered. I've never seen that happen before.”
The slap heard around the world (2022)
Easily the most dramatic thing to ever happen at the Oscars, Smith strode on stage and walloped presenter Chris Rock, after he made an ill-advised joke about the Men in Black star’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Rock said on stage: “Jada, can't wait for G.I. Jane 2,” a reference to her shaved head. Jada has been open about her struggles with alopecia, which made this a low blow in many people’s eyes.
Cue Smith striding on stage and smacking Rock, later yelling at him: “Keep my wife's name out of your f**king mouth.”
The upside of all this was that Smith was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years, although he did awkwardly go on to pick up the award for Best Actor later that evening.
Smith apologised for his behaviour several times in the months following, saying: “One of the things about that moment, I just didn’t realise, I wasn’t thinking, but how many people got hurt in that moment.”
Topics: Oscars, Harrison Ford, Star Wars, Hollywood, Film and TV
Callum Jones