Michael J Fox receives Medal of Freedom from President Biden
Michael J Fox was among 19 new recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony earlier this week.
US President Joe Biden awarded the medals, which are the country’s highest civilian honour, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States.
During a ceremony on Saturday 4 January 2025, Michael J Fox received enthusiastic cheers as he was presented with his medal, with a White House representative reading the following statement about his notable contributions to America:
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to Michael J Fox… one of the most beloved actors of our time. With remarkable wit and charm, he introduced iconic characters to the centre of American culture, from Alex P Keaton to Marty McFly, and more.
With undaunted resilience and optimism, he also warms hearts and captivates audiences as a fearless advocate for those with Parkinson’s, channeling his endearing personality to advance treatments, move us closer to a cure, and remind us of the power of American possibilities.”
Watch a video of Michael J Fox receiving his medal from President Biden below:
Fox released the following statement on the website of the Michael J Fox Foundation:
“Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom is humbling, an honor I could never have anticipated. I’m grateful for this recognition, which I share with the patients, families and researchers who have brought us closer than ever to ending Parkinson’s disease once and for all.”
Fox established the Michael J Fox Foundation in 2000, after disclosing his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 1991, and the Foundation has since raised more than $2 billion for Parkinson’s research projects. This included the significant breakthrough of discovering a Parkinson’s biomarker in 2023, and collaborating with the Critical Path for Parkinson’s Consortium (including representatives from Parkinson’s Europe) on a new staging framework for Parkinson’s, which was launched in early 2024.
This isn’t the first time Michael J Fox has been honoured for his contributions to the global Parkinson’s community. In 2023, he received an honorary Oscar, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his work fighting Parkinson’s. He also won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Media Access Awards, and was named one of Time‘s 2024 list of influential people in health.
Aside from Michael J Fox, other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025 included former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U2 front-man Bono, actor Denzel Washington, and fashion designer Ralph Lauren.
