Michael J. Fox leaves wheelchair in surprise appearance at BAFTAs
Newsy
The "Back to the Future" actor, who lives with Parkinson's disease, got a standing ovation when he stood to present the BAFTA for best film.
The room was full of celebrities, but the presence of one in particular brought an awestruck BAFTA audience to its feet.
Michael J. Fox surprised attendees at the London event Sunday night when he appeared on stage to present the award for best film, which went to Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer."
After being introduced by host David Tennant as a "true legend of cinema," the "Back to the Future" actor was brought to the podium in a wheelchair, but then stood, leading A-list celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie and Robert Downey Jr. to leap to their feet to cheer.
"No matter who you are or where you're from, films can bring us together," Fox said before announcing the nominees. "There's a reason why they say movies are magic — because movies can change your day, they can change your outlook, sometimes it can even change your life."
The 62-year-old, who Tennant said was "the film star of the 1980s," has been living with Parkinson's disease since he was 29, and his journey with it was chronicled in the Apple TV+ film "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," which lost the BAFTA for best documentary to "20 Days in Mariupol" on Sunday.
