Harrison Ford was expected to present at the 2025 Academy Awards, but just one day before the Oscars ceremony, the Indiana Jones star pulled out due to a health issue.
The 82-year-old Star Wars actor’s rep confirmed to Parade that Ford received a shingles diagnosis on Friday, Feb. 28, and pulled out as a presenter on Saturday morning.
💪 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💪
Parade reached out to representatives for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for comment on Saturday.
Ford was added to the list of presenters just two days prior to his diagnosis. Other celebrities that were confirmed as presenters at the awards show hosted by Conan O’Brien include Oprah Winfrey, Samuel L. Jackson, Goldie Hawn, Selena Gomez, and Ben Stiller, among others.
Was Harrison Ford nominated for an Oscar this year?
No, the Air Force One star is not a nominee for the 2025 Academy Awards. He was previously nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for his performance in 1985’s Witness but was beat out by William Hurt for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Related: Here Are the 2025 Academy Award Nominees
What is shingles?
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection and reawakening of chickenpox. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 people in the United States develop shingles at least once.
Though shingles can be uncomfortable, fewer than 100 people die from it each year, says the federal health agency.
Anyone over the age of 28 who was exposed to chickenpox, as well as older people who are experiencing immune system issues or stress, is more likely to have it.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
Dr. Roger Kapoor, MD, FAAD, a Harvard-trained dermatologist and the senior executive vice president of Beloit Health System in Beloit, Wis. tells Parade that “shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash.”
Dr. Kapoor explains that shingles usually look like a stripe of blisters on the left or right side of the body, around the rib cage or waist, which “can also appear on one side of the face, around one eye or on the neck. The rash often looks like a ‘belt’ or ‘half belt,’ which is sometimes called a ‘shingles band’ or ‘shingles girdle,’” he says. The itchy and painful rash, which eventually develops into fluid-filled blisters, usually starts as red patches.
Localized pain is often the first symptom of shingles. “This pain may be severe and is often described as burning, throbbing or stabbing,” says Dr. Kapoor, explaining that the rash tends to develop a few days after the pain starts. In addition to these symptoms, Dr. Kapoor says that some people may experience fever, chills, fatigue and headache.
How long does it take to get over shingles?
A shingles rash “typically scabs over in seven to 10 days and clears up within two to four weeks. It’s often painfully itchy and, to compound the person’s misery, the skin in the affected area may become extremely sensitive, making even light touch painful,” Dr. Kapoor says.
Is shingles contagious?
Yes and no. While someone with an active shingles rash cannot give shingles to another person, someone with shingles can pass varicella-zoster virus to anyone who isn’t immune to chickenpox, according to the Mayo Clinic. This typically happens through direct contact with the open sores of the shingles rash.
If that person becomes infected, they will develop chickenpox, not shingles. Experts urge people with shingles to avoid physical contact with anyone who hasn’t yet had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine, including newborns, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
Can you avoid shingles?
While shingles is a very common illness, there is something you can do to prevent it. The Shingrix vaccine is approved for adults 50 years or older, as well as immunocompromised adults who are 19 years or older. Two doses, taken two to six months apart, are required for effectiveness.
Next: These Are the 6 Vaccines Doctors Are Begging Everyone Over 50 To Get
