Michael J. Fox continues to exhibit his humor and hobbies while managing Parkinson’s disease. At the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s annual A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Cure Parkinson’s gala on Saturday, the actor shared with People magazine that preserving his darker sense of humor can be challenging, but he feels it’s essential to keep it intact.

Fox explained that dark humor can help navigate taboos around difficult subjects, stating, ‘Let’s embrace that and make a difference.’ This year’s fundraiser, hosted by Denis Leary and featuring a performance by Stevie Nicks, raised $116 million for Parkinson’s research. Fox expressed his gratitude, saying, ‘I can’t believe — a lot of these people I’ve known for years and years — they’re so kind to me.’ He believes their kindness stems from seeing an opportunity for significant advancement in the fight against Parkinson’s.

During the event, Fox showcased his guitar skills with a performance on stage. Earlier this year, he made a surprise appearance with Coldplay at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, where he played guitar alongside the band. Fox thanked his team and the band on social media, describing the experience as ‘f—ing mind blowing.’

According to Variety, Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, introduced Fox before playing their song ‘Humankind,’ highlighting Fox’s iconic role in ‘Back to the Future.’ A video shared by BBC Music on YouTube showed Fox playing guitar from his wheelchair during the band’s performance of ‘Fix You,’ with Martin kneeling beside him. After the song, Martin expressed his gratitude to the crowd, emphasizing Fox’s influence on their band.

Fox’s passion for guitar dates back to his role in ‘Back to the Future,’ where he learned to play for the film. He shared with Empire in 2020 that he had to learn the guitar for a scene and told director Rob Zemeckis, ‘When I do this scene, I play guitar, so you can finger sync me. Feel free to cut to my hands any time you want.’ This commitment put pressure on him to master the instrument.

Despite the challenges posed by his Parkinson’s symptoms, Fox has continued to play guitar publicly this year, demonstrating his determination to remain active. In a 2023 interview with The Times, he acknowledged the struggle with Parkinson’s but emphasized that he finds more to celebrate in life than to mourn. He remains resolute, stating, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

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