The “Cheers” star’s friend faced a tough crowd, which he joked was by design.

Woody Harrelson roasts Harrison Ford during Life Achievement Award, scolds audience for not laughing enough

The "Cheers" star's friend faced a tough crowd, which he joked was by design.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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on March 2, 2026 12:06 a.m. ET

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Woody Harrelson faced a tough crowd Sunday at the Actor Awards, as he presented Harrison Ford with the night's Life Achievement Award.

The *Natural Born Killers* star began his time at the podium at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles with a joke about the fact that most of the people in the room would be losers. After his words were met with mostly silence, he replied, "OK, that's what I expected."

He forged ahead roasting Ford, though, teasing that he was there to honor *One Battle After Another* star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Harrison Ford and Woody Harrelson at the Actor Awards on March 1.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ;Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

"You have more talent in your little finger than I have in my little finger," Harrelson said once he located the honoree in the audience. He continued, "Of all the actors in the world, you're one of them." And "everyone in this industry... knows you."

When Harrelson heard some laughs, he thanked the crowd for "warming up a little."

EW staff in the audience confirm that the room was very cold the entire night, with even the best jokes being met with tepid laughs.

Harrelson noted that the* Indiana Jones* actor had asked him to present him with the award about a month ago over email, which he knew was serious, since Ford usually only texts. This is a "friendship impediment" Harrelson noted, because he's the opposite.

Harrison Ford stars in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989).

But Harrelson said ford noted to him that he had confessed that his first choices had been Helen Mirren, Kamala Harris, but he was just "happy to make the podium."

At one point, Harrelson noted that "you guys are tough,"which did make the audience roar, particularly Harrelson's former *Cheers* costar Ted Danson.

Harrelson noted that he and Ford had become friends after he followed the actor into a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, after seeing him. Ford invited him to lunch, and Harrelson found him to be a storyteller that he could laugh with.

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Then he got serious, "Whatever he's doing, we know we are in the hands of a master." Harrelson lauded his friend for using his platform for good causes, including conservation.

When he was wrapping up, Harrelson mentioned Ford's work in carpentry and joked that he didn't know how to work his coffee machine. There were a lot of laughs.

"You guys are finally getting it!" Harrelson said.

Ford was an "esteemed, living legend" and that the roast was partly to discourage his other friends from asking him to present an award to them, he said.

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