Michael J. Fox makes surprise BAFTAs appearance, receives standing ovation

Michael J. Fox brought the audience to its feet when he made a surprise appearance at the BAFTA Awards in London on Sunday.

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Fox was called a “true legend of the cinema” and “the film star of the 1980s” by show host and “Doctor Who” actor David Tennant, CNN reported.

The “Family Ties” and “Back to the Future star entered the stage by wheelchair but walked to the podium to present the Best Film award. Earlier he and his wife Tracy Pollan walked the red carpet, E! News reported.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, an incurable degenerative condition that affects the nervous system and motor control, in 1991 when he was only 29 years old. He is now 62.

Fox said of the films nominated for the best film of the year, “All five of them have something in common: They are the best of what we do.”

Fox had been nominated for a BAFTA for his documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” which documents his and his family’s life living with Parkinson’s. The documentary lost to “20 Days in Mariupol,” CNN reported.

As for the Best Film, that honor went to “Oppenheimer,” which beat out “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Holdovers,” “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things,” E! News reported.