Michael J. Fox Receives Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Emmys — SkimNews
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- Michael J. Fox received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at Monday's Emmys, earning a standing ovation during a speech introduced by his "The Good Wife" co-star Julianna Margulies.
- Fox, a five-time Emmy winner, was honored for his "transformative contributions to Parkinson's disease research and advocacy" and told the crowd that "accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it."
- Fox said he initially hid his Parkinson's diagnosis over fears that audiences "would laugh if they knew I was sick," before finding "support from all of you" and "stand[ing] up for me."
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, founded in 2000 after Fox disclosed his 1991 diagnosis at age 29, has become a major funder; Fox said he "vowed to fund the best science in the world."
- Fox was also nominated for guest actor in a comedy series for "Shrinking," though that trophy went posthumously to Rob Reiner.
- Oprah Winfrey was the first Bob Hope Humanitarian Award recipient when the honor was created in 2002; last year's winners were Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
Why it matters: By accepting this award on television's biggest stage, Fox turned the moment into a high-profile fundraising appeal for Parkinson's research, reminding donors and patients that his foundation remains the most prominent private backer in a field still working toward cures. Fox's framing — that accepting the disease meant fighting it, not surrendering — recasts the diagnosis as a launching point for collective advocacy.
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