Health scare forces Harrison Ford to pull out of Oscars

The Hollywood legend was due to be a presenter at the 2025 Oscars but withdrew after receiving his shock diagnosis.

Hollywood legend Harrison Ford has pulled out of the Oscars after he was diagnosed with shingles.

The 83-year-old star of Indiana Jones and Star Wars was due to be a presenter at the 2025 show this week with fellow actors Rachel Zegler, Samuel L. Jackson, Gal Gadot and Zoe Saldana.

He stepped away from the job just hours after he found out he had shingles, the New York Post reported. The actor is understood to be resting and recovering well.

Shingles is a painful skin rash that typically causes blistering on one side of the face or body.

Before the rash appears, individuals may experience fatigue, headaches, sensitivity to light, and tender, painful skin, usually two to three days before red, fluid-filled blisters emerge.

Shingles can affect any part of the body, but it most commonly appears in a belt-like pattern along one side of the torso, often impacting the chest and lower back.

Harrison Ford was last seen at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Losa Angeles on February 23. Picture: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

The rash typically lasts between 10 to 15 days. During this time, a scaly crust may form on the blisters. Once the rash heals, the skin usually returns to normal, although scarring or a secondary bacterial infection can occur in more severe cases.

The virus responsible for shingles is the same one that causes chickenpox. Treatment for shingles is most effective when started within three days of the rash appearing. The diseases is notifiable in Australia.

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) provides a free shingles vaccine,

to people aged 65 and older; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 and older

eligible people 18 and older who are considered at increased risk due to an underlying condition and/or immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive treatments.

According to the National Communicable Disease Surveillance Dashboard, there were 10,208 cases of shingles reported in Australia in 2024. So far this year (as at March 2) there had been 1416 cases reported.

It is estimated that, by the age of 40, more than 97% of Australians carry the inactive virus (varicella zoster virus) that causes shingles from a previous chickenpox infection.

The news about Ford follows Shingles Awareness Week in Australia, during which a number of sporting stars and celebrities came out to talk about their experiences with shingles.

Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico.

Hawthorn AFL legend Robert ‘Dipper’ DiPierdomenico said he had lived through the painful and debilitating impact of shingles, and had also cared for his partner during her shingles diagnosis.

“Compared to the pain of many of my sporting injuries, shingles was relentless. It put me out of action for nine days,” he said.

“I had a large, itchy, red rash suddenly appear on the left side of my body. It was so uncomfortable, I slept on a mattress in the lounge room with the airconditioning running to try and find some relief.

It was horrible to experience personally, and I know some of my loved ones, like my partner and my mum, have also experienced the pain and discomfort of shingles.”

Professor Tony Cunningham, director of the Centre for Virus Research and vaccine theme leader at Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, The University of Sydney.

Professor Tony Cunningham, director of the Centre for Virus Research and vaccine theme leader at Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, The University of Sydney, said Australians aged 50 years and over should not underestimate their shingles risk even if they didn’t recall having had chickenpox.

“If you’ve had chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in your body. Almost all Australians have had chickenpox, even if they don’t remember having it or were asymptomatic, and so are at risk of shingles as they carry the inactive virus,” said Professor Cunningham.

“As you get older, there is a decline in your immune system that can leave you susceptible to the reactivation of this virus, which causes shingles.”

Originally published as Health scare forces Harrison Ford to pull out of Oscars