As if this year’s Baftas weren’t already star-studded enough, the event ended with a surprise appearance from a genuine screen legend.
Towards the end of the ceremony, host David Tennant teased the final award of the night, Best Picture, telling those in attendance and at home: “To present it, we have a true legend of cinema.
“He was the film star of the 1980s, his charitable foundation has raised over two billion dollars. He was Marty McFly in Back To The Future.”
The Doctor Who star then welcomed Michael J Fox to the stage.
After being pushed onto the stage in a wheelchair, the Teen Wolf star made his way to the podium, where he delivered a short speech about the power of cinema to change “your outlook, and sometimes even your life”, before presenting the night’s top prize to Oppenheimer.
Those watching at home were quick to shower the actor – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the early 90s, and has since become an advocate for helping fund research to help treat the condition – with praise:
Last year, Michael was the subject of a new documentary, Still, which centred around his Parkinson’s diagnosis and his life with the disease.
The Back To The Future legend was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991, but initially kept it private, waiting until seven years later before he disclosed his condition publicly.
His recent on-screen work has included the sitcom The Michael J Fox Show and a two-episode stint in The Good Fight.
Michael also has his own charitable foundation, which aims to fund research into a cure for Parkinson’s.