Michael J Fox receives honourary Oscar for advocacy work

“It is humbling in the deepest way to stand here and accept your kindness,” the Canadian actor said on stage at the annual Governors Awards, where an A-list crowd of stars including Tom Hanks and Jennifer Lawrence gave him a standing ovation.

Fox said the hardest part about his diagnosis was “grappling with the uncertainty” and that he had kept his diagnosis private for years because “I didn’t know if an audience could laugh if they knew I was struggling.”

The Canadian actor, now 61, was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the group that hands out the Oscars, and introduced by friend Woody Harrelson.

“He turned a chilling diagnosis into a courageous mission,” the “Cheers” actor said.

Diane Warren

Other recipients of the Governors Awards included prolific songwriter Diane Warren, whose songs have been featured in more than 100 movies.

Warren, 66, has been nominated for an Oscar for best original song 13 times but never won.

“I’ve waited 34 years to say this: I’d like to thank the Academy,” Warren said to applause on Saturday.

Also honored were Australian director Peter Weir, known for films including “Witness” and “Dead Poets Society,” and Euzhan Palcy, who became the first Black woman to direct a film for a major Hollywood studio with “A Dry White Season.”