ST.Michael J. Fox Gets up from Wheelchair at BAFTAs, Receiving a Standing Ovation & Making People Cry

Michael J. Fox, famous for his role in “Back To The Future,” courageously continues to navigate life with Parkinson’s disease. On February 18, 2024, he unexpectedly appeared at the BAFTAs to present the top film award.

BAFTA host David Tennant welcomed the 62-year-old onto the stage at the Royal Festival Hall in London and hailed him as an authentic cinema legend. The Canadian-American actor graced the stage in a wheelchair but insisted on rising at the podium to bestow the prize upon Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

Another person said they cried when the audience gave Fox a standing ovation while he was on stage. “So emotional,” the person added. More emotional users asked, “michael j fox standing ovation. anyone else cried. [sic]” A fan also confessed, “THE MOMENT MICHAEL J FOX CAME ON TO THE STAGE I WAS IN FLOODS OF TEARS THE MAN IS A LEGEND.”

Davis Guggenheim’s film, “Still: A Michael J Fox Movie,” garnered a nomination for Best Documentary but lost out to “20 Days In Mariupol.” Despite this, Fox exuded positivity onstage, expressing that films can bring people together regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.

The movie star added, “There’s a reason why they say movies are magic because movies can change your day. It can change your outlook. Sometimes it can change your life.”

Michael J. Fox attended the BAFTAs with his wife, Tracy Pollan, who has been a steadfast supporter through his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Together, they made a stunning appearance on the red carpet, showcasing their enduring partnership and commitment to each other.

Fox, who has survived over 30 years of living with the incurable disease, has spoken frankly about death, saying people should not be surprised if he were to pass away any day from now.

The veteran actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when he was 29 in 1991. It is an incurable degenerative disease that kills most patients within twenty years of diagnosis.

In addition to his diagnosis, Fox has faced other health issues, including a spinal tumor that almost left him paralyzed. Moreover, he nearly lost his hand due to an infection and has had a few broken bones over the years.

Fox experiences side effects as a result, and one of the worst side effects of his medication is dyskinesia — involuntary movements and tics. Despite his diagnosis, the Hollywood star has an interesting perspective on the disease. He said although it has taken things away from him, “it has changed my life in so many positive ways.”

Fox, best known for appearing in “Family Ties,” alongside Justine Bateman, had kept his diagnosis under wraps for years and collected paychecks from projects that he felt were beneath his talents. He ultimately suffered a breakdown and ended up in therapy after self-medicating with alcohol. But he sobered up following AA meetings.

The television star announced the news to broadcast journalist Barbara Walters and People. Many people became opinionated and asked why Fox kept it to himself, but such comments did not faze him because the only opinion that mattered was his.