How did Harrison Ford get his scars? Injuries explored amid actor's recent Shingles diagnosis

After his recent Shingles diagnosis, Harrison Ford has dropped out as one of the presenters at the 97th Oscars, per Entertainment Weekly.

The reports of Ford being diagnosed with Shingles has also brought attention to the various injuries that he has suffered over the years as an action hero. Many have noticed a scar around the Star Wars actor’s chin throughout his career.

The filmmakers also incorporated the chin scar into Indiana Jones and Han Solo’s backstories. However, the Hollywood icon got the laceration years before he became famous in showbiz. According to Parade, Harrison Ford got the scars due to “inept emergency surgery” following a car accident in the 1960s.

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More about Harrison Ford’s iconic scar

The scar on Harrison Ford’s scars added another element to his tough guy image. The cuts on his chin were used by directors Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard to add some context to the character background of roles played by Ford. Both titular characters suffered lacerations on their chins in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The Blade Runner star, addressing his famous scar, recalled during a 1990 interview with Vanity Fair,

“I was an assistant buyer in the knickknacks and oil-paintings department of the Bullock's department store in Santa Ana, California.”

Harrison Ford was driving to work one morning when he fumbled to buckle up his seat belt. He accidentally drove into a telephone pole and endured an injury on his face. Ford recalled,

“I was driving through the canyon one morning, and I had forgotten to put on my seat belt. I reached over to take my seat belt off the hook, and my attention went to that. And I hit a high curb, and the car went up on two wheels and smashed into a telephone pole.”

He continued,

"I hit the steering wheel, I think. I crawled out of the car. I remember very vividly that although my car was in the middle of the road, no one would stop. They would just creep around me at five miles an hour and keep on going.”

Someone finally took Ford to the hospital, where he had an emergency surgery that became the reason for his iconic chin scar.

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Harrison Ford’s Shingles diagnosis forces him to step away from presenting at the 97th Academy Awards

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, the Academy confirmed that the Captain America: Brave New World star would present at the 97th edition. Days after the announcement, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Ford had stepped away from the presenter role and would not be attending the award ceremony.

The magazine revealed that the 82-year-old legend is struggling with Shingles but is doing fine, focusing on rest. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s official website, Shingles is a “painful rash illness” caused by “the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).”

Harrison Ford was initially announced as a presenter along with Dave Bautista, Andrew Garfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Margaret Qualley, and more. Around the time, Entertainment Weekly reported the Oscar nominee’s absence. The Academy also announced the addition of Mark Hamill to the lineup of presenters.

The Academy posted about Ford’s Star Wars co-star,

“The Force is strong with this presenter… welcome, @MarkHamill to the 97th Oscars!”

A few weeks back, the Luke Skywalker star presented the Best Film award at BAFTAs to the team behind Conclave. Before handing over the prize, Mark Hamill suffered an unexpected wardrobe malfunction during his address, but the actor kept his composure on the stage.