Harrison Ford captured the hearts of the nation on Sunday night, January 14 when he was presented with the Career Achievement Award at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards.
The 81-year-old screen icon received an enthusiastic round of applause and adoration from many of the stars in the room, although none seemed to catch his attention quite like a special someone did.
The star took some time to pay a very loving tribute to his wife of 13 years, Calista Flockhart, 59, who sat across from the stage, you can relive the teary-eyed moment below…
Louella Alderson, co-founder of the dating app So Syncd and a relationship expert, weighed in on his emotional speech and revealed that the feelings were as genuine as you'd think.
"From Harrison Ford's emotional speech at the Critics Choice Awards, it seems clear that his love and admiration for Calista Flockhart runs deep," she says.
"As an actor, he may have a way with words and conveying emotions on screen, but it's clear that his love for his wife is genuine and heartfelt."
She provided some insight into how they're able to make their marriage work while keeping it out of the public eye, despite the trappings of fame and celebrity often ensuring otherwise.
"It's not always easy for celebrity couples to maintain a strong, lasting relationship in the public eye, but it seems that Ford and Flockhart have found a way to make it work," Louella adds. "They've balanced their personal lives with their professional careers and have been able to grow and evolve as a couple over the years."
While she highlighted that the secret to their long-lasting bond was their ability to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, she was complimentary of the way they spoke of each other in public as well.
"Ford's words and actions towards his wife are a testament to the strong and loving bond they share," Louella said. "In interviews, he always speaks very positively about their relationship and the respect he has for Flockhart as a partner and mother to their child, Liam.
MORE: Harrison Ford makes rare public appearance – and it's extra meaningful for wife Calista Flockhart
"Flockhart is also incredibly supportive of Ford in his career and his hobbies. After Ford had a plane crash, she supported his return to flying because she knew how much it meant to him."
Ford and Flockhart met at the 2002 Golden Globes and began dating soon after, when the actor was 59 and Flockhart was 37 and had just become a new mom, having adopted her son Liam as a baby the previous year.
MORE: Harrison Ford receives unexpected honor at 81 – and his reaction is priceless
Louella emphasized that despite their meeting later in life, the duration of their romance has proved that age really is nothing but a number. "From his emotional speech at the Critics Choice Awards, it seems that Ford is grateful for her presence in his life and values their relationship deeply.
"They may have found love later in life and have a 22-year age gap, but it shows that love can thrive at any stage in life," she concluded.
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