Michael J. Fox is getting an honorary Oscar
Fox will be awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his Parkinson's activism
Aux News Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, beloved star of the Back To The Future franchise, will receive an honorary Oscar at the at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 13th Governors Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While Fox is known for his iconic film and television roles, he has become a prominent activist after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. In light of his work, which includes the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, he will be awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The prize is bestowed upon “an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.” Previous recipients of the honor, which has only been presented 42 times (per THR), include Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra, Oprah Winfrey, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Angelina Jolie.
“The Academy’s board of governors is honored to recognize four individuals who have made indelible contributions to cinema and the world at large,” Academy president David Rubin says in a statement. “Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions.”
The actor enjoyed a fruitful career even after his diagnosis–including a memorable recurring role on The Good Wife and leading his own sitcom, The Michael J. Fox Show–but has now essentially retired. “There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a 12-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me,” he wrote in his 2020 memoir No Time Like The Future.
Songwriter Diane Warren, filmmaker Peter Weir, and trailblazing Black director Euzhan Palcy will also receive awards to “honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”
12 Comments
That’s heavy!
He should’ve gotten it for Casualties of War, or at least a nomination. It’s hard to argue Daniel Day Lewis wasn’t great in “My Left Foot,” but his win had more to do with Hollywood’s disabled fetish at the time (Rainman, Awakenings) than Lewis’ performance.
Kind of sad that Fox gets the disabled Oscar.The statement from the Academy reads like some “good for you!” bullshit too. “Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease
alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in
changing the future for millions.”
Like what was he supposed to do? Not advocate for the research of a disease he has? I’m sure there isn’t a single person with Parkinson’s out there who says – “meh, fuck it – it isn’t so bad. Research something else!”
Honestly his best performance was probably Teen Wolf. A movie he really didn’t want to do (it originally cost him Back to the Future!), and yet he sold the shit out of it. I’m not sure any actor alive could’ve taken that role more seriously or committed to it more than MJ Fox. The only reason it worked and the reason it still holds up is because of his singular performance. Need proof? May I present Teen Wolf, Too.
Also, he had to act like he could actually play basketball, and it wasn’t terrible. Certainly better than Wesley Snipes in White Men Can’t Jump.
doc hollywood or GTFO
Frighteners!
I’d say he’s done more than advocate, his foundation has raised more than $1 billion (billion!) in fundraising that has been directed to research and promising therapies.Dude has probably done more for humanity than the entire Academy Board combined. Hope he enjoys this award but he deserves way more.
I will not disagree that he has done more for Parkinson’s than the guy who first diagnosed it.I just think it’s lame that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is giving him an award for something entirely unrelated to his culturally significant contribution to cinema history.Stay in your lane, AMPAS!
i mean….we all know when they’ll decide to honour him….
Eh, the award is for general humanitarian efforts, not just for being disabled. In fact it’s kind of nice to see a disabled person being honored for this kind of thing, rather than a Jerry Lewis savior type.
As the spouse of someone dealing with early onset PD (diag at 34), this is a nice gesture. But yeah – should have received a nom in the past for some of his work. He never really did the definite Oscar movie, but just liked making movies that are fun to watch.And if you haven’t, a shameless plug to join the MJF org PPMI research project. Email questionnaires. You have 20 min or so, so do it.https://www.michaeljfox.org/ppmi
No, he did. Casualties of War and Bright Lights, Big City specifically was him going for the gold.
He never really did the definite Oscar movieCasualties of War.