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Michael J. Fox will always have a special place in our heart—and we’re clearly not alone here.
This weekend at the 2024 BAFTAs, the Back to the Future alum, 62, was brought onstage in a wheelchair to present the award for Best Film. The longtime actor received a standing ovation from the ceremony attendees in the audience. And if the moment weren’t already touching enough, the cheers increased when Fox got up from the wheelchair and walked to the podium to give his opening speech.
“Five films are nominated in this category tonight, and all five have something in common, they're the best at what we do,” Fox said. “No matter who you are or where you're from these films can bring us together. There’s a reason why they say movies are magic, ‘cause movies can change your day, they change your outlook, it can sometimes even change your life.”
Fox went on to announce the winner of the category, which was Oppenheimer. Not only was the actor there to present one of the biggest awards of the night, but he was also a BAFTAs nominee. In case you didn't know, Fox’s Apple TV+ original film Still, which chronicles the star’s journey with Parkinson’s disease, was nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s BAFTAs.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991. (FYI, he was 29-years-old.) Over the years, the Hollywood actor has been candid about living with the incurable disease. Last year, Fox sat down with Variety and shared how much Parkinson’s disease has impacted his life.
“I have aides around me quite a bit of the time in case I fall, and that lack of privacy is hard to deal with,” Fox said during the interview. “I lost family members, I lost my dog, I lost freedom, I lost health. I hesitate to use the term ‘depression,’ because I'm not qualified to diagnose myself, but all the signs were there.” He went on to say, “My family pulled me out.”
A well-deserved standing ovation.
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