Michael J. Fox was wheeled out onto the stage at the Emmys and told everyone exactly why he deserves to be there. The actor, known for Family Ties and Back to the Future, received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, recognizing his decades of advocacy through the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He took the opportunity to thank his family, his costars, and the Parkinson’s community, all while cracking jokes about his TV past.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. He has spent the years since turning the foundation into the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research, helping direct billions of dollars toward research and treatments with an ambitious goal: to put Parkinson’s out of business. At the ceremony, he credited Bob Hope’s example of service and joy as inspiration for his own approach to life.
The Bob Hope Speech
Fox opened his remarks with a tribute to the man whose name now carries the award. “First, a few words about Bob Hope,” he said. “My parents were born during the Great Depression, campaigns during World War II. To them, Bob was more than an entertainer; he was a selfless champion of soldiers and military families like mine for decades.”
He listed the holidays where Hope skipped his own family to serve the troops. “Christmases, Thanksgivings, other holidays where he could have been celebrating with his family, he was showing up for the troops in Berlin, Saigon, the Middle East, with a turkey leg and a golf club, and maybe if you’re lucky, Lola Falana.”
Fox then connected Hope directly to his own work. “He embodied everything I came to believe in years later. I learned from his example. When it starts to get tough, you show up, you help, and if you add a little joy while you’re doing it, that’s so you know it’s even better,” he explained. “I couldn’t have known how these lessons would resonate in my own life till my late 30s, my late 20s, when my wife handed me a role that I was looking for.”
The Parkinson’s Turning Point
Fox’s speech turned personal when he described the moment he stopped hiding his diagnosis. “Initially, I kept my Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret. I worried it would affect my work and relationships with audiences. Would they laugh if they knew I was sick?” he said. “Then I was stunned by the support from all of you, so uplifting… and I hadn’t lost what I do. They couldn’t take it away from me.”
That realization changed his path. “I understood that accepting Parkinson’s didn’t mean I had to surrender to it. It just meant doing whatever I could for people living with this disease. So I set out to advocate for patients’ needs.”
The Foundation’s Work
Fox detailed the foundation’s approach. “I found brilliant people to lead the effort with me and vowed to fund the best science in the world,” he said. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to benefit Parkinson’s patients and families as we move closer to eradicating this disease forever.”
He thanked the people who make that work possible. “I’m deeply grateful to our staff, donors, researchers, and most of all, the patient community who make our work at Michael J. Fox Foundation possible,” he said.
The Family Thanks
Fox closed with a heartfelt acknowledgment of the people closest to him. “Now the part where I thank Tracy and our kids for their sacrifices, for their patience, and for their love — you have no idea — and of course, my mom and dad, and my sisters and brother in Canada,” he said. Then he added, “Now where’s Lola Falana?”
Fox also thanked his costar Julianna Margulies. “Thank you to Julianna,” he began. “You’re so kind. You’re such a great acting partner, and had a great time on that show. And I’m glad I don’t have any frigging legalities ever again in my life. It’s hard to remember those words.”
Fox’s delivery remained sharp throughout. Despite the spasms caused by the disease, he was still quick with the quips. Brought out in a wheelchair, he received a standing ovation.
What We Make Of It
Fox’s speech balanced humor about his TV past with genuine thanks to his family and the Parkinson’s community. The foundation’s work is supported by the source, and Fox’s willingness to joke about his condition in public shows a combination of grace and honesty.
“They couldn’t take it away from me.”
That line captures the core of his message. Accepting Parkinson’s does not mean giving up. It means doing whatever you can for others living with it.
Fox has spent decades turning that lesson into action. The Michael J. Fox Foundation has become the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research, directing billions of dollars toward treatments.
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