US President Joe Biden on Saturday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, to Canadian actor Michael J. Fox and others.
“Michael J. Fox is an actor who has won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Grammy Award. He is a world-renowned advocate for Parkinson's disease research and development,” the White House said. said in a statement Announcing the recipients.
Fox, who was born in Alberta and starred in Back to the future movie The franchise publicly revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991 at the age of 29 and established the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 for Parkinson's research.
“Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom is humbling, something I never imagined,” Fox, 63, said. said on his foundation's website. “I am grateful for this recognition, which I share with the patients, families and researchers who bring us closer than ever to ending Parkinson's disease once and for all.”
Among those honored by Biden were José Andrés, celebrity chef and founder of World Central Kitchen; Bono, activist and singer of the Irish band U2; former US Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; conservationist Jane Goodall; Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington; and Anna Wintour, fashion icon and Vogue editor.
