Viewers won’t see Harrison Ford take the Dolby Theatre stage at the 97th Academy Awards tonight, Sunday, March 2, as the awards show kicks off at 7/6c. The actor has canceled his Oscars presenting gig after being diagnosed with shingles.
According to Entertainment Weekly, which reported the news, the Indiana Jones actor learned of the diagnosis on Friday, February 28, and dropped out of the ceremony the following day. He was resting and doing OK as of Saturday, March 1, the outlet added.
Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It results painful rashes or blisters on one’s skin, and other symptoms can also include fever, chills, headache, low energy, sensitivity to light, and stomach upset. About 1 million cases are diagnosed every year in the United States, and about half of cases occur in people over the age of 50.
Ford’s diagnosis comes days after he made headlines for his scene-stealing antics at the 2025 SAG Awards, when he mugged for the camera during Shrinking costar Jessica Williams’ monologue. Williams responded by turning around and playfully swatting her colleague.
@people #HarrisonFord got caught eating a cracker at the #SAGAwards and honestly, we get it. 😂 #SAGs #JessicaWilliams ♬ original sound – People Magazine
The Star Wars alum has never won an Oscar, though he was nominated for Best Actor at the 58th ceremony for his work in the 1985 crime thriller Witness. He has kept busy recently, starring in another season of the period drama series 1923 and the Marvel film Captain America: Brave New World this year alone.
Ford was announced as a 2025 Oscars presenter on Wednesday, as were Dave Bautista, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, Alba Rohrwacher, Rachel Zegler, and Zoe Saldaña, per EW.
Other presenters include Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Robert Downey Jr., Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Penélope Cruz, Halle Berry, Goldie Hawn, and Whoopi Goldberg, all of whom are Oscar winners. Sunday’s ceremony also marks Goldberg’s first time presenting in nearly 10 years.
Conan O’Brien is hosting the awards show, and Nick Offerman will be the show’s announcer.
The 97th Academy Awards, Sunday, March 2, 7/6c, ABC and Hulu
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
