Michael J. Fox receives humanitarian award at Emmy

Michael J. Fox, the Canadian-American actor who has turned his battle with Parkinson’s disease into one of the most influential awareness and fundraising campaigns, was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards ceremony, Reuters reports.

The 65-year-old actor returned to the public spotlight with the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking,” which earned him his 19th Emmy nomination this year. At the same time, he has continued his activism and fundraising efforts to support Parkinson’s research, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The Academy honored him for his “transformative contributions to Parkinson’s research and awareness.”

Before Michael J. Fox took the stage to receive the award, the actor was introduced through a video montage featuring highlights from his film career as well as his philanthropic efforts to find a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

The actor was brought onto the stage in a wheelchair and received a standing ovation.

In his acceptance speech, Fox spoke about the significant impact actor Bob Hope had on him during his childhood in the years of the Great Depression.

“Bob Hope entertained soldiers,” he said. “I learned from his example,” added the actor, known for his roles in the sitcom “Family Ties” and the “Back to the Future” film series.

Fox said that he initially kept his diagnosis secret because he was afraid of losing important relationships in his life. He eventually realized, however, that accepting the diagnosis did not mean allowing the disease to take over his life.

“You have been there for me, and I thank you,” Fox told the audience. “I’m proud of the progress we have made together.”

Fox experienced the first symptoms of Parkinson’s while filming the romantic comedy “Doc Hollywood” in 1991, when he was 29 years old. He publicly revealed his diagnosis in 1998.

In 2000, he announced that he was leaving the cast of the ABC sitcom “Spin City.” That same year, he began campaigning for a cure for Parkinson’s and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise funds for research.

He retired from acting in 2020, saying that the disease had progressed and that he was finding it increasingly difficult to speak and memorize lines.

A five-time Emmy winner, Fox returned to acting in 2025 to play a Parkinson’s patient in the series “Shrinking,” where he stars alongside Harrison Ford.

Established in 2002, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award honors “a member of the television industry whose philanthropic efforts reflect the altruism and positive impact that Bob Hope brought to society for many decades.”

Past recipients of the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award have included Danny Thomas, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Sean Penn, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.

Photo: Instagram/realmikejfox