Michael J. Fox made a rare appearance at the Actor Awards on Sunday night, where he paid a heartfelt tribute to his family, and introduced the audience to his son, Sam.
The 64-year-old actor, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, was joined by his 36-year-old son at the LA ceremony and gave a touching speech about his journey to fame.
© Netflix"When I left school and moved from Canada to LA to make it as an actor, a teacher of mine told me, 'Fox, you're not gonna be cute forever'," the Back to the Future star began.
"I didn't know what to say to that so I said: "Maybe just long enough, sir,"' he said.
Michael then gestured to his son Sam, who was sitting next to him at his table. "By the way, he's not an actor, he's just my date," he said.
© Getty ImagesReflecting on the early days of his career, Michael continued: "After two years of dumpster diving in LA, I ended up on Family Ties, where I received the biggest gift of my career. I met my wife, the actor Tracy Pollan, who played my girlfriend Ellen."
Paying tribute to his family, Michael continued: "She gave me four gifts, our kids Skyler, Aquinnah, Esmé, and Sam. Sometimes I like to think if it wasn’t for acting they wouldn't be here."
Michael's supportive family
Michael's family have been a huge support to him since his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, which came three years into his marriage to his wife, Tracy Pollan.
Last November, at the Michael J. Fox Foundation's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson's Gala in New York City, Tracy revealed how much she "leans on" her children for support.
© Getty Images"Michael was diagnosed before the girls were born and very, very early into Sam's life, so it's kind of all they know, really," she told People. "They're just incredibly supportive."
"They're very helpful to me. I lean on them a lot and [because] Michael is so optimistic, which is wonderful and really helps him, but it's really important to also understand that this is a huge challenge," she added.
Michael's return to acting
Michael's appearance at the 2026 Actor Awards comes after he returned to acting in a guest role in season three of Apple TV's comedy drama, Shrinking.
The actor, who plays a character living with Parkinson's disease in the series, last appeared on TV screens in 2020, when he guest starred in the legal drama, The Good Fight.
© Apple TVShrinking, which stars Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks.
On joining the cast, Michael told The LA Times: "The depth of character, the quality of relationships, the language — it’s just a beautiful show.
"And I thought, just do that for its own sake. I don't have an agenda. Don’t have to be coming back into acting or anything. It'll be fun. And there’s Harrison Ford, which is insane."
