Michael J. Fox appears at BAFTAs to present best film, gets standing ovation
Michael J Fox presents the Best Film Award on stage during the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
LOS ANGELES - Actor Michael J. Fox made a rare appearance at the British Academy Film Awards in London over the weekend to present the award for best film.
The "Back to the Future" star came onstage in a wheelchair but stood up at the podium to present the award to the winner, Christopher Nolan, for "Oppenheimer."
Fox was introduced by BAFTAs host David Tennant, who described him as "a true legend of cinema." That's when the audience got up and gave Fox a standing ovation.
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Some celebrities seen standing up and applauding included Ryan Gosling and Robert Downey Jr.
"Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," which follows the actor's life and career, was nominated for a BAFTA but was beat by The Associated Press and PBS' film "20 Days In Mariupol."
Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease as a 29-year-old in 1991, has written and spoken about his life with the condition and founded the non-profit Michael J. Fox Foundation, which focuses on finding a cure for the disease from which Fox suffers.
In 2022, he was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his advocacy work surrounding Parkinson's Disease.
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The fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition in the U.S., Parkinson’s is an incurable brain disorder, a progressive disease "that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination," according to the National Institute on Aging.