Michael J. Fox received a standing ovation at the 2026 Emmys on Monday night after being presented with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his decades of advocacy and fundraising for Parkinson’s disease research.
The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, established in 2002 by the Television Academy and the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, honors a television-industry figure whose philanthropic work has left a lasting mark on society.
Fox attended with his wife, Tracy Pollan, marking the couple’s first appearance at the Emmys in 13 years.
Fox was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1991 at age 29 and went public with the diagnosis in 1998. On stage Monday, he described the years he spent hiding his condition.
“Initially, I kept my Parkinson’s diagnosis a secret. I worried that it would affect my work and my relationship with audiences,” Fox said.
“Would they laugh if they knew I was sick? And then I was stunned by the support I got. The support from all of you. It was so uplifting. It made me feel like I could keep doing this and I hadn’t lost what I do and they couldn’t take this away from me. And it’s because you stood up for me, and I really appreciate it.”
Fox also spoke about his foundation’s research efforts, telling the audience they are “close” to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
Reaction poured in online following the speech. One user on X wrote, “Michael J. Fox ❤️❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏We can all learn so much from him…🙏🏻👍”
Another wrote, “I really do think we underestimate how much Michael J Fox really put Parkinson’s ‘on the map’ so to speak. I knew about it as a little kid because of him and his advocacy for it.”
A third called Fox “an inspiration,” adding, “The guy got dealt an awful hand.”
