Michael J. Fox: Mom Would ‘Freak Out’ Over Prince William’s Reaction at BAFTA Awards
Michael J. Fox shared details of a standing ovation from Prince William at the 2024 BAFTA Awards that would have made his mom “freak out.” The actor, who rose to fame on Family Ties and in the Back to the Future series of movies, believes this particular moment would have made one family member in particular, very proud.
Prince William’s reaction to Michael J. Fox’s BAFTA appearance made the actor think of his late mom
Michael J. Fox appeared as a presenter at the 2024 BAFTA Awards, the annual celebration to honor the best British and international contributions to film. The event took place in February 2024.
The actor received a standing ovation from the event’s attendees. One of these congratulatory claps was from none other than Prince William, the son of Princess Diana and King Charles.
In an interview with People Magazine, Fox shared that this accolade would have made his late parents, Phyllis and William Nelson Fox, very proud. Particularly his mother, who was a royal fan.
“My mother would freak out that the future king of the United Kingdom stood up for me. My mother would just go out of her mind,” Fox explained.
“If you’re a 22-year-old kid from Burnaby Eastburn, which if you know Burnaby, you know Eastburn is the roughest part,” Fox explained. “I said that to a friend of mine the other day. I sent him a text.”
He concluded, “Because he sent me a text about the standing ‘O’ at the BAFTAs and about Prince William. And I said, ‘Who would have thought? East Burnaby street rat and a standing ovation from the future king of England.'”
This wasn’t the first time Michael J. Fox interacted with the British royal family
Michael J. Fox had a memorable encounter with Princess Diana during the British premiere of Back to the Future in 1985. He recounted the story to People Magazine.
The film, which Fox filmed while simultaneously starring in the television series Family Ties, had become a blockbuster hit. Audiences responded to the story of Marty McFly, who traveled back in time to when his parents first met and ultimately changed the trajectory of their lives.
Fox told People, “It all got so crazy. There’s nothing I could think of that wouldn’t happen.”
“With the royal premiere of Back to the Future, I sat next to Princess Diana,” he continues. “I realized if I was like a fake yawn and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her. That one, and just moments like that, were so surreal.”
The actor and Princess Diana were the same age
Michael J. Fox and Princess Diana were born in the same year, 1961. Fox was born on June 9 and Diana, one month later on July 1.
Their celebrity peaked during the 1980s. Diana, for marrying then-Prince Charles and Fox and his television and film career.
While each experienced different levels of fame, Fox admitted that to be famous during that time, one had to be tougher, work harder, and prove themselves to be worthy. Thus, he and Diana rose to the challenge.
Fox reflected on that time period as he grew into his noteriety. He told People Magazine that being famous during that decade was “different.”
“There’s an expression I referred to when they gave me an honorary Academy Award — somebody said to me the day before, they were talking about getting this award and being famous, and they said ‘You’re ‘80s famous,’ ” Fox revealed. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool. ‘80s famous. Right, we were different.’ “
He added, “We were tougher. We didn’t have social media, we didn’t have any of that crap.”
“We were just famous and left to our own resources. And it was an amazing time,” Fox concluded.
Michael J. Fox has retired from acting. He works tirelessly with The Michael J. Fox Foundation to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, of which he was diagnosed in 1991 at the age of 29. Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris, France.
