Michael J. Fox made a cheeky joke while introducing his son Sam to the audience in a speech at the Actor Awards, formerly the SAG Awards.
The ceremony traditionally opens with monologues from several of the assembled stars, who tell stories about their time in their profession and then close by stating their names and saying: ‘I am an actor.’
Fox, 64 – who has received wide admiration for his dignified battle with Parkinson’s disease and advocacy for its sufferers – got such a massive round of applause when the camera alighted on him that he had to pause the start of his speech.
He proceeded to tell a story about how his acting career resulted in his introduction to his wife and Family Ties co-star Tracy Pollan, with whom he has four children.
The Back to the Future legend then pointed to his son Sam, 36, who was seated next to him, and quipped: ‘By the way, he’s not an actor, he’s just my date.’
He added a heartwarming extra few words to the traditional closer of the monologue, saying: ‘I’m Michael J. Fox and a dad, and I’m an actor.’
Michael J. Fox made a cheeky joke while introducing his son Sam to the audience in a speech at the Actor Awards, formerly the SAG Awards
The ceremony traditionally opens with monologues from several of the assembled stars, who tell stories about their time in their profession
Fox began his speech: ‘Before I left school….,’ then had to trail off briefly in order to let his thunderous ovation die down before continuing.
‘Before I left school and moved from Canada to LA to try and make it as an actor, a teacher of mine told me: “Fox, you’re not gonna be cute forever.” I didn’t know what to say to that so I said: “Maybe just long enough, sir,”‘ he said to a laugh.
‘After a few years of dumpster diving in LA I ended up on Family Ties, where I received the biggest gift of my career – I met my wife, the actor Tracy Pollan, who played my girlfriend Ellen,’ Fox continued.
‘And she gave me four gifts, our kids Schuyler, Aquinnah, Esme and Sam. Sometimes I like to remind them, if it weren’t for acting they wouldn’t be here.’
At Sunday’s fete, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet are facing off in a hotly anticipated contest for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, for their respective roles in One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme.
The category also features Michael B. Jordan for a dual role in Sinners, Ethan Hawke for the Broadway biopic Blue Moon and Jesse Plemons for the thriller Bugonia.
Meanwhile Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Rose Byrne are facing off for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, alongside Bugonia’s Emma Stone and Song Sung Blue’s Kate Hudson.
One Battle After Another has two of its cast vying to be named best supporting actor – Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn – amid a field otherwise populated by Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Hamnet and Miles Caton for Sinners.
He added a heartwarming extra few words to the traditional closer of the monologue, saying: ‘I’m Michael J. Fox and a dad, and I’m an actor’
As for female supporting performances, Ariana Grande has earned a nod for Wicked: For Good, as have Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Amy Madigan for Sinners.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture is a contest between Hamnet, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners.
Among the sitcom performances nominated that night are Rogen and the recently departed Catherine O’Hara for The Studio, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building, Jenna Ortega for Wednesday and Jean Smart for Hacks.
Bell’s current co-star Adam Brody is nominated for Nobody Wants This, while her former The Good Place co-star Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside
The ensemble in a drama series category is a formidable race including The White Lotus, The Pitt, Severance, The Diplomat and Landman.
Noah Wyle is nominated for his comeback turn on The Pitt, as are Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood for The White Lotus, Keri Russell for The Diplomat, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses and Billy Crudup for The Morning Show.
The revered miniseries Adolescence has earned recognition in the limited series and TV movie categories, with nominations for actresses Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco and actors Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper.
Other nominees in those categories include Michelle Williams in Dying for Sex, Sarah Snook in All Her Fault, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me, Jason Bateman in Black Rabbit and Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Sunday evening’s SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award is being presented to Harrison Ford, 83, after more than a half-century of stardom.
Actor Awards 2026 winners
FILM
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)
Sinners (Warner Bros) – WINNER
Michael B. Jordan led Sinners to two of the biggest wins of the night
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet – WINNER
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Chase Infinity – One Battle After Another
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Jessie Buckley was recognized for her work in Hamnet
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners – WINNER
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Miles Caton – Sinners
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan – Weapons – WINNER
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Amy Madigan was honored for her work in thriller Weapons
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
F1 (Apple Original Films)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount) – WINNER
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)
Sinners (Warner Bros)
TELEVISION
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Landman (Paramount+)
The Pitt (HBO Max) – WINNER
Severance (Apple TV)
The White Lotus (HBO)
Noah Wyle and The Pitt were massive winners on the television drama side
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
Walton Goggins – The White Lotus
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Noah Wyle – The Pitt – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Britt Lower – Severance
Parker Posey – The White Lotus
Keri Russell – The Diplomat – WINNER
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus
Aimee Lou Wood – The White Lotus
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Studio (Apple TV) – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ike Barinholtz – The Studio
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson – Inside Man
Seth Rogen – The Studio – WINNER
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Seth Rogen’s The Studio swept the television comedy portion
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kathryn Hahn – The Studio
Catherine O’Hara – The Studio – WINNER
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
Jean Smart – Hacks
Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit
Owen Cooper – Adolescence – WINNER
Stephen Graham – Adolescence
Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys – The Beast In Me
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Claire Danes – The Beast In Me
Erin Doherty – Adolescence
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Christine Tremarco – Adolescence
Michelle Williams – Dying For Sex – WINNER
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
Andor (Disney+)
Landman (Paramount+)
The Last of Us (HBO) – WINNER
Squid Game (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
