Sir Billy Connolly, the 82-year-old comedy legend, made a rare public appearance this weekend at the Key West Film Festival in Florida, where he was honoured with an award for artistic excellence. The comedian, who has Parkinson's disease, is seldom seen at public events but left his Florida home to attend the ceremony.
Using a walking stick, Connolly told the crowd: 'I walk with a stick because I suffer from a horrible illness. It’s a joy to live among you and it’s a joy to be among you tonight.' He thanked the audience for the award, adding that it would sit beside his other prizes.
The award was presented by his longtime friends, actors Steve Buscemi and Aidan Quinn. Buscemi recalled meeting Connolly on the set of the 1998 film The Impostors, and how Connolly once invited him to his castle in Scotland. Quinn expressed gratitude for Connolly's videos, which brought joy to his brother during his battle with cancer.
Connolly, who previously owned a castle in Aberdeenshire before selling it in 2014, now lives in Florida on the advice of doctors who believed a warmer climate would help manage his Parkinson's. The progressive neurological condition affects the nervous system, causing tremors and stiff muscles.
Speaking to the Mirror last year, Connolly reflected on living with the illness: 'You just confront it and make decisions based on it. You just have to think ‘Don’t think you are being badly treated or you have the bad pick of the straws. You are one of millions. Just behave yourself and relax.’'
