Michael J. Fox will always be Coldplay’s hero. While performing their set at Glastonbury over the weekend, the band introduced the 63-year-old movie star to the stage for a surprise appearance. Michael played guitar alongside the band as they all performed “Fix You” and a brief rendition of the song “Johnny B. Goode” from his iconic Back to the Future scene.
Vocalist Chris Martin paid tribute to Michael — who has been living with Parkinson’s Disease since the 1990s — after he welcomed the actor to the stage. The “Orphans” singer, 47, credited the Family Ties alum’s acting career and nodded to his iconic film role by noting, “With his Chuck Berry riff and the way he punched Biff.”
“The main reason we’re in a band is because of watching Back to the Future,” Chris revealed. “Thank you to our hero forever and one of the most amazing people on Earth, Mr. Michael J. Fox. Thank you so much Michael, our hero.”
Thank you Michael J. Fox for making our dream come true 🩵 pic.twitter.com/ahzOzGaP5J
— Coldplay (@coldplay) June 30, 2024
Following the heartwarming performance, Michael took to Instagram to thank Coldplay.
“Glastonbury all the love and thanks to the @coldplay team who took such great care of us [sic],” he captioned the post on Sunday, June 30. “And many thanks to Chris, Will, Johnny, Guy and Phil. Oh yeah in case you were wondering…it was f**king mind blowing. There is a time for every band and a band for every time. This is @coldplay’s time.”
Michael previously played with the band in 2016 at MetLife Stadium, and they performed “Johnny B. Goode” together at the time.
The Casualties of War actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991. He was only 29 years old at the time. Per Mayo Clinic, the progressive condition affects the nervous system, and symptoms begin to appear slowly in a patient. Eventually, a person living with the disease develops tremors and slurred speech. There is currently no cure for it.
Despite living with the difficult disease, Michael has been outspoken about it throughout his film career. In 2023, he released his Apple TV+ documentary, Still, in which he narrated how he discovered his condition, what he did about it and how his wife, Tracy Pollan, supported him. The spouses met on the set of Family Ties and fell in love off screen. They tied the knot in 1988.