Michael J Fox accepted a prestigious award at the 13th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, 19 November in Los Angeles.

The retired actor, who played Marty McFly in Back To The Future, attended the ceremony with co-star Christopher Lloyd and wife Tracy Pollan to collect the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award which recognises an individual,  'whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.'

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, his ill health inspired the actor to launch the Michael J Fox Foundation in 2000 to fund further research for people living with the progressive disorder.

In an interview with People Fox said: 'My best life now is I enjoy my family so much.

'Tracy and the kids are amazing. I know that sounds boring, it sounds like a fairy tale, but we've been married thirtysomething years, so we've got something figured out.' 

At the ceremony Woody Harrelson presented Fox the award, the two actors became firm friends after starring together in the 1991 movie Doc Hollywood.

Despite stepping down from his acting career in 2000 Fox has continued to be a household name after creating his own foundation to find a cure for Parkinson’s. The charity has already raised around $1.5 billion.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight Pollan said it was ‘exciting’ for her husband to receive the accolade. Fox jokingly added  'celebrating me is overrated.'  

The actor told People 2018 was one of the worst years he had ever had when he went under the knife to remove a tumour on his spinal cord, after the operation Fox broke his left arm.

He said: 'I broke my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, had a replacement shoulder put in and broke my [right] arm, then I broke my elbow. I'm 61 years old, and I'm feeling it a little bit more.' 

'I was never really a cranky guy, but I got very cranky and short with people. I try to nip it in the bud.

'I always think of these aides who work with me. And I often say to them, 'Whatever I say, just imagine I said 'please' at the beginning and 'thank you' at the end. Just take a second and absorb that I might have said that if I was more myself, but I didn't, so I apologize.' 

For advice and support visit the Parkinson’s UK website.