Woody Harrelson Says He Became Friends with Harrison Ford by Following Him Into a Sushi Restaurant
Woody Harrelson Says He Became Friends with Harrison Ford by Following Him Into a Sushi Restaurant
Julia MooreMon, March 2, 2026 at 3:16 AM UTC
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Harrison Ford and Woody Harrelson at the 32nd Annual Actor AwardsCredit: Unique Nicole/Shutterstock -
Harrison Ford received the SAG Life Achievement Award at the 2026 Actors Awards
Woody Harrelson presented Ford with the award and revealed in his speech the unorthodox way their friendship began
The Actor Awards aired live on Netflix
Woody Harrelson had a mission to become friends with Harrison Ford.
At the 32nd annual Actors Awards on Sunday, March 1, Ford received the SAG Life Achievement Award, and Harrelson introduced him as a "living legend" and revealed how their friendship began.
"Harrison sent an email a month ago asking if we could talk. I knew it was important, because Harrison never emails. He only texts," Harrelson began his speech.
"He wanted me to present this award to him, and I called him a couple days later and said I would. He said, 'To be totally forthcoming, I asked Helen Mirren, she turned me down. And then I asked Kamala Harris, she couldn’t do it.' I said, 'Dude, let me just stop you right there. Am I in the top 10?' He said, 'I could count you on one hand,' which I took to mean three fingers. I’m happy to take the bronze. Just happy to make the podium."
Harrelson, 64, then said that while he had met Ford, 83, previously, their friendship truly started when he saw Ford "go into a sushi restaurant over on San Vicente [Boulevard], followed him in [and] he invited me to lunch."
Woody Harrelson speaks onstage during the 32nd Annual Actor Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 1, 2026Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
"We had an incredible conversation," Harrelson recalled. "He really is a great storyteller — not just professionally. At one point we laughed, and I’m not kidding, for three minutes straight, and that sealed our friendship, as laughter does."
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Harrelson playfully ribbed Ford a lot in his speech. "I’m here to celebrate one of the greatest actors of all time, who has made so many classic films. He is among his peers, truly and deeply beloved: Leo DiCaprio. Sorry — Harrison Ford!" he joked.
On a more serious note, though, before a montage of Ford's decades-long career played, Harrelson described the actor as a "true Renaissance man, iconic actor, distinguished pilot and a master carpenter."
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Harrison Ford accepts the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award onstage during the 32nd Annual Actor Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 1, 2026Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
In a statement, Ford said he was "deeply honored to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award."
“To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me," Ford said. "I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.”
See PEOPLE's full coverage of the 32nd annual Actor Awards Sunday, March 1, as they air live on Netflix.
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