Entertainers Who Turned Down Major Awards

Harrison Ford Accepted Roman Polanski’s Oscar Because He Was A Fugitive

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Roman Polanski failed to attend the 2003 ceremony where he would have gotten an Oscar for his work on The Pianist. This isn’t because he was making some sort of political stance like John Lennon or Marlon Brando. No, Roman Polanski was a literal fugitive.

After Polanski was accused of having unlawful sex with a then 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson’s apparent bachelor pad, the director struck a plea deal which saved him from a life sentence. Despite this, Polanski fled the country to avoid his punishment. Since Polanski couldn’t attend the Academy Awards ceremony because he was literally running from the police, Harrison Ford accepted the award instead.